Brit Awards go Brat as Charli XCX sweeps best artist and song of the year
Brit Awards go Brat as Charli XCX sweeps best artist and song of the year
Paul Glynn and Annabel Rackham
Culture reporters
Getty Images
Charli XCX’s album Brat topped the *** charts in October 2024, after it was re-released as a remix album
The Brit Awards belonged to Charli XCX on Saturday night, who completed her transformation from underground hero to bona fide pop star by winning five awards including best artist and song of the year.
Ezra Collective, Sam Fender, Stormzy and The Last Dinner Party were the other big British winners on Saturday night, while Fontaines DC and Chappell Roan bagged the international awards.
The night also included a memorable, blush-inducing performance from US pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter, who was handed the global success award at London’s O2 Arena.
The arena fell silent near the end of the show for a moving video tribute to the late Liam Payne, who died last October.
The year of the BratGetty Images
She won all of the biggest prizes on the same night that her collaborator AG Cook won best producer
Despite not performing, Charli XCX stole the show by winning the biggest awards of the night – artist of the year, album of the year for her cultural phenomenon Brat, and song of the year for Guess.
“This is cool, I’m really happy that a song about underwear now has a Brit award, very important stuff”, said Charli, dryly, on stage after collecting her first award.
“I’m sure that that proves something about songwriting but I’m not sure what.”
She went on to thank Eilish – the first non-Brit to appear on a best song-winner – for her guest vocals on Guess which she delivered at just three days notice. “Thank you Billie for running and gunning…”
The 32-year-old from Essex also picked up the best dance act and songwriter of the year awards.
In her speech for best dance act, she spoke of the importance of the night-time genre. “I feel like dance music, electronic music gets a really bad rep’ because everyone is like, ‘it’s not that deep, is it?’. And I kind of feel it is,” she said.
“This genre of music for me is euphoric, it allows me to escape, it allows me to feel on such a deep level.”
As she collected her fifth and final award of the night for best album, Charli told the crowd how she had “always felt like an outsider” up until this point.
“Culture caught up with us and wanted to be on the journey with us – I am living proof that it takes a long time but you don’t need to compromise your vision,” she added.
Sabrina and the beefeaterGetty Images
It’s always difficult getting the tone of the opening performance right – but Carpenter certainly nailed the brief with her mash-up of mega-hit Espresso and recent favourite from her best-selling album, Bed Chem.
Fans of the star who have been eagerly following her Short n’ Sweet Tour will have recognised some elements of it in her Brits performance – which was given a suitably British update with the opening strains of Rule Britannia and a, ahem, close encounter with a beefeater.
Carpenter also became the first international star to accept the global success award, jokingly saying it was “an insane honour, for such a tea-drinking country you streamed the [heck] out of espresso.”
Wearing some lingerie that might have been a little bit too racy for the pre-watershed slot, her performance around a heart-shaped bed was energetic and embodied her cheeky style that has elevated her fame in recent months.
Best pop act winner, ***** – of little mix Fame – attempted to top this with a performance of her song Angel Of My Dreams.
In it she appeared in a blonde wig and big white fur coat before disappearing briefly somewhere in a crowd of dancers and re-emerging as an angel suspended above the stage.
Getty Images
Sabrina Carpenter performed a mash-up of her hits Espresso and Bed Chem
Protecting artists and spacesGetty Images
Myles Smith accepted the rising star award
Several artists used their winning platform to urge the powers-that-be to do more to protect artists and give them the time, space and funds to develop.
Jazz group Ezra Collective – who closed the night with an upbeat performance alongside Jorja Smith – won group of the year, with Femi Koleoso expressing that giving a young person at a youth club a trumpet, for example, could help to fix “so many of the problems that face greater society in the ***”.
Chappell Roan, who won best international act and international song for Good Luck, *****!, noted via a video link how she had to write “a lot of bad songs to get to the good ones”.
Rising star winner Myles Smith – or “The Luton Bob Dylan”, as host Jack Whitehall called him – performed his hit Stargazing and called on the government to stop treating British music as an “after thought” while urging the music industry itself to stick with artists past their first viral hits and tours.
It was also a night that marked the return of Sam Fender, with the Geordie singer-songwriter picking up the best alternative/rock act.
He thanked his band in his speech, saying he would just be a “mad man shouting at walls” without them.
It marks the end of a huge week for Fender, who also topped the *** album charts with People Watching – which had the biggest opening week for a British album since Harry Styles’ Harry’s House in 2022.
He topped off the evening with an emphatic performance of its title track.
Getty Images
*****’s performance of Angel Of My Dreams was one of the awards’ most memorable moments
Best hip-hop winner Stormzy thanked Jesus and read a verse from the ****** before explaining that he was wearing shades as he had “mashed my eye up playing padel”.
Best R&B act winner Raye said via video that she was “still recovering” from last year’s event when she won a record-breaking six awards.
Dublin rock band Fontaines D.C said they were “buzzing” to win best international group and did so, fittingly, from Down Under.
And Teddy Swims performed his hit Lose Control on a flame-filled stage – a potential fire hazard in his baggy oversized jacket – before Lola Young played her viral hit in a Messy makeshift room.
Return of the Jack – best gagsGetty Images
Jack Whitehall returned to hosting duties and poked fun at the celebs in the audience
It’s four years since Whitehall last hosted the Brit Awards – with Mo Gilligan filling the gap – and he noted how broadcasters ITV “had to come crawling back to an ex” in asking him back.
He poked fun at the stars in the audience, underlining how Charli, in true British style, “had asked not to perform on the show so she can get drunk”.
And referencing Stormzy’s recent high profile adverts, he called the star “the grime scene’s Ronald McDonald – he’s loving it”.
Aiming a light dig at YouTuber KSI, the host joked: “You are as good a rapper as Aitch… from Steps”.
Having flown over from US filming commitments a few days ago, he showed little signs of jet lag in his bid to “Make the Brits Great Again”, as he had joked in a pre-show video this week.
“If you thought Trump-Zelensky was cringe then wait until you hear me…” he quipped.
It reached peak cringe though when his parents appeared alongside him in one segment, with his dad dressed as Kanye West.
The biggest cheer of the night came when actor Danny Dyer told Whitehall that “the world is being run by cranks”.
Tributes paid to Liam Payne
Liam Payne, who tragically died in Argentina aged 31, had a huge connection to the Brits, both as part of One Direction and as a solo artist.
The ceremony included a touching tribute to the star, which was a bit of a gear shift towards the end of the fun-packed show, as Whitehall queued up a sombre ****** and white montage of Payne’s career, including music and quotes from him and his bandmates.
“I hope that me singing today brings enjoyment to someone,” he was heard saying.
Seven-time Brit winner Dua Lipa won nothing on the night despite having received four nominations.
There were also snubs for royal royalty The Beatles, Coldplay and The Cure, who like Dua, all lost out to Charli in various catergories.
Let’s hope they’re not too Bratty about it.
Source link
#Brit #Awards #Brat #Charli #XCX #sweeps #artist #song #year
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Trump orders new tariff probe into US lumber imports
Trump orders new tariff probe into US lumber imports
There’s speculation Donald Trump is preparing to impose more tariffs on imported timber after signing orders aimed at increasing domestic lumber production.
Source link
#Trump #orders #tariff #probe #lumber #imports
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Commanders trading for Deebo Samuel: 49ers reach agreement to send receiver to Washington for NFL Draft pick – CBS Sports
Commanders trading for Deebo Samuel: 49ers reach agreement to send receiver to Washington for NFL Draft pick – CBS Sports
Commanders trading for Deebo Samuel: 49ers reach agreement to send receiver to Washington for NFL Draft pick CBS SportsSources: 49ers trade WR Samuel to Commanders ESPNFantasy Fallout: Commanders adding Deebo Samuel in trade with 49ers NBC Sports49ers agree to trade Deebo Samuel to Commanders: report Fox News49ers reportedly trading Deebo Samuel Sr. to Commanders for 5th-round pick Yahoo Sports
Source link
#Commanders #trading #Deebo #Samuel #49ers #reach #agreement #send #receiver #Washington #NFL #Draft #pick #CBS #Sports
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Israel approves temporary extension of Gaza ceasefire
Israel approves temporary extension of Gaza ceasefire
Reuters
Israeli soldiers stand on a tank on the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip. Photo: February 2025
The Israeli government has approved a temporary extension of the Gaza ceasefire for the next six weeks, covering the ******* Ramadan and Jewish Passover periods.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office made the announcement shortly after the first phase of the previously agreed ceasefire expired at midnight on Saturday.
Netanyahu’s office said that under a ceasefire proposal by US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, half of the hostages still held by ****** in Gaza – both alive and dead – would be released on the first day.
The remaining hostages would be freed “if an agreement on a permanent ceasefire is reached”.
****** has not publicly commented on the latest Israeli move.
The Israeli government backed the ceasefire extension after a four-hour meeting called by Netanyahu.
The prime minister’s office claimed that ****** “has so far refused” to back the Witkoff plan, adding that Israel would immediately start negotiations if the group changed its position.
The US envoy’s plan envisages that Israel could return to fighting after 42 days if it believed negotiations on a second phase had failed.
On Friday night, ****** said it would not agree to any extension of phase one without guarantees from American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators that phase two would eventually take place.
****** seems determined to remain a force in Gaza, even if it might be willing to hand over day-to-day governance to other ************ actors, including the ************ Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the BBC’s Paul Adams reports from Jerusalem.
EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Palestinians in Gaza are struggling to put their lives back together in the current, fragile peace
The first phase of the ceasefire that came into force on 19 January expired on Saturday.
It halted 15 months of fighting between ****** and the Israeli military, allowing the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages for about 1,900 ************ prisoners and detainees.
But negotiations on phase two, including the release of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, have barely begun.
There are believed to be 24 hostages alive, with another 39 presumed to be dead.
****** carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage.
Israel responded with an air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip, during which at least 48,365 people have been killed, according to the territory’s ******-run health ministry.
Source link
#Israel #approves #temporary #extension #Gaza #ceasefire
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Drivers taken to court over car park keying errors
Drivers taken to court over car park keying errors
Caroline Lowbridge
BBC News, East Midlands
Lynda Eagan demonstrates what leads to some keying errors at the Newcastle Avenue car park in Worksop
Drivers have said they are being unfairly penalised due to payment machines that make it difficult – or impossible – to enter car registrations correctly.
Some car park operators are sending drivers £100 parking charge notices (PCNs) due to what are known as “keying errors”.
The trade associations for private car parks say drivers should not be given PCNs for “minor” keying errors, and charges for “major” keying errors should be reduced to £20.
However, this is not always happening, and some drivers are being taken to court if they refuse to pay the £100 charges.
Donna Nash, pictured with her husband, was taken to court over a keying error
Donna Nash, from Worksop in Nottinghamshire, was ordered to pay Excel Parking £282 after she lost a court case against the car park operator.
She had parked in its Newcastle Avenue car park in Worksop, and only entered the first two letters of her registration before paying.
“The machine jumped forward and asked me to make payment,” she said.
“I made payment, not aware there was any particular issue. I just thought that was normal for that machine.”
Excel Parking argued Mrs Nash had broken the contract she entered into when she used the car park, as the terms and conditions stated she must enter her full vehicle registration mark.
But in her witness statement, Mrs Nash claimed the machine had been “set up to trick motorists into paying too soon”.
Donna Nash
Mrs Nash showed the judge tickets bought by other people who had only entered one registration letter before paying
She provided the judge with photos of tickets bought by other drivers who have had the same problem.
However, District Judge Heppell said he was “not satisfied there was any fault with the machine”.
He ordered Mrs Nash to pay the £100 PCN, plus other costs, totalling £282.
Speaking after the hearing on 21 February, Mrs Nash told the BBC: “I just feel sick to be honest with you.
“It’s taken a lot of our time. It’s just been very stressful and hard.”
Her husband, Jonathan Nash, said: “The machines shouldn’t allow for you to only enter two letters because there are no registrations in the *** that haven’t got numbers, so as far as we’re concerned that’s a fault in the machine itself.”
Excel Parking told the BBC it “vehemently” refutes there is a problem with the payment machines.
Why are people being ‘fined’?
Tracy Campbell’s daughter filmed her entering the registration LG19 BRV, but it came up on the machine as LG19 BII
All of the people who spoke to the BBC told us they paid using machines that required them to enter their vehicle registrations.
They then received PCNs through the post asking for £100. While PCNs are sometimes referred to as “fines”, they are effectively letters demanding money for alleged breach of contract.
Some people said they had made mistakes when entering their registrations.
However, some insisted they entered their registrations correctly, but the machines had either not printed them in full, or had printed them incorrectly.
Others said they started entering their registrations but the machines “jumped” to the payment screen as soon as they pressed the first one or two letters.
One of the alleged keying error hotspots is Syston Town Square car park in Leicestershire, where more than 100 people have been issued with PCNs.
People affected say they have entered their vehicle registrations in full, but the machine missed off some of the letters and/or numbers.
Tracy Campbell was filmed entering the registration LG19 BRV – but it came up on the machine as LG19 BII.
What recourse do drivers have?
These are just some of the people who have been issued with PCNs despite paying for parking at Syston Town Square car park in Leicestershire
Private car park operators are meant to follow the sector’s Code of Practice.
According to the Code of Practice, parking charges should not be pursued where the driver has “paid the tariff but made a minor keying error when registering their vehicle”.
The code says the charge should be reduced to £20 for “major keying errors”.
Therefore, if drivers receive a £100 PCN they can appeal to the car park operator with evidence that they bought a ticket, and ask for the charge to be reduced to £20.
If the appeal is rejected, they can also appeal to one of two appeals services – POPLA or the IAS – depending on which trade association the operator belongs to.
However, the BBC has spoken to drivers who appealed but were not offered reduced charges of £20, including Donna Nash.
When drivers do not pay the charges, car park operators often issue court claims against them for alleged breach of contract.
Some of the drivers then pay, due to fear of being taken to court, but some choose to challenge the charges in court.
What happens in court?
Sietske Sikkema won her case against Excel Parking but said preparing it had taken up a lot of time
Lynda Eagan, who runs a Facebook group helping people fight charges, said parking operators often discontinued cases before hearings.
“They will commonly cancel it at the last minute,” she said. “They let their cases get right up to the point where they have to pay the court fee.”
This was what happened to Richard Degnan, who received a PCN after parking at the Crown Street car park in Leeds, and had appeals rejected by both Excel Parking and the IAS.
Mr Degnan prepared to fight his case in court, but when he arrived, was told the claim had been discontinued.
However, some cases are heard in court, and although Donna Nash lost her case, judges dismiss some.
This was what happened when Sietske Sikkema defended herself against Excel Parking at Derby County Court on 31 January.
She had accidentally entered her registration incorrectly when using the Copeland Street car park in Derby, because she was rushing.
This is the car park where Rosey Hudson was asked to pay £1,906 for taking too long to pay.
Deputy District Judge Nathan Smith said he accepted Ms Sikkema had made “an innocent mistake” when she typed in “AOV AO14” instead of “AO14 AOV”.
He said it was “difficult to see what legitimate reason the claimant [Excel Parking] has for enforcing the term”, adding that the £100 plus £70 they demanded was “disproportionate to the mistake that was made”.
As well as dismissing the claim, he ordered Excel Parking to pay Ms Sikkema’s travel expenses for attending court.
However, Ms Sikkema told the BBC that the case had caused her a lot of stress.
“It’s taken up a lot of time, which is quite frustrating really, knowing that it’s such an obvious mistake, so I think it’s unfair to people to act like that,” she said.
What has the parking sector said?
Excel Parking “vehemently” refutes there are problems with payment machines at its Newcastle Avenue car park in Worksop
There are two trade associations for private car park operators – the British Parking Association (BPA) and International Parking Community (IPC).
Their joint Code of Practice states that parking operators “must have and follow a documented policy and procedure to avoid issuing or enforcing a parking charge in respect of accidental keying errors”.
It states this should “include the adoption of technologies that reduce keying errors”.
The BBC told the BPA about the problems with Syston Town Square Car Park because the operator, Euro Car Parks, is one of its members.
The BPA has said it will investigate, including looking at signage and machines.
The BBC also contacted the IPC, because Excel Parking is one of its members.
The IPC said its “initial investigations indicate we are unaware of this issue being raised previously with us”.
The BBC contacted Euro Car Parks on 6 February but has not had a response.
We asked Excel Parking about the reported problems with its payment machines in Worksop and Leeds.
It said: “We vehemently refute there is a problem with the pay machines at the two car parks.
“The transactional data for the ******* in question shows that 98.1% of motorists input a complete vehicle registration mark.”
However, this suggests about one in 50 did not manage to input a complete registration.
Could these charges be prevented?
The RAC wants Euro Car Parks to refund anyone who has already paid PCNs for alleged keying errors at Syston Town Square car park
Lynda Eagan said keying errors – and subsequent PCNs – could be prevented by installing better payment machines.
“They could so easily stop and ask you, ‘is that your full registration number? Press the green button’. And that would solve all the problems,” she said.
The RAC believes charges for keying errors should be banned completely.
Head of policy Simon Williams said: “The company concerned ought to be able to see if the registration plate of a vehicle entering a car park [captured on an ANPR camera] doesn’t match with what they put into the machine, and if it doesn’t they ought to be able to flag that up and no parking charge notice should be issued.”
In relation to the problems at Syston Town Square car park, he said: “The company concerned is turning down all the appeals, absolutely wrongly in our opinion.
“We call on Euro Car Parks to overturn these and refund all the money concerned.”
The RAC has been campaigning for the reintroduction of the Private Parking Code of Practice, which was withdrawn in 2022 because of legal challenges from the industry.
“There’s a consumer working group which we are part of and we are desperate to get this code into operation to protect people from private parking operators who really aren’t following best practice,” Mr Williams added.
Source link
#Drivers #court #car #park #keying #errors
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Warning China could ‘take lessons’ from Ukraine after White House clash
Warning China could ‘take lessons’ from Ukraine after White House clash
China could “take lessons” from US crumbling support for Ukraine and apply them to the Indo-Pacific, a senior Coalition senator has cautioned.
The warning comes after Donald Trump’s infamous White House clash with Volodymyr Zelensky compounded concerns Washington will abandon Ukraine as it fights off invading Russian forces.
The broadcast stoush triggered alarm bells in Western capitals and jubilance in Moscow.
But opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said on Sunday Beijing could be eyeing the situation as a blueprint for Taiwan.
“If there is a ceasefire that is forced on Ukraine, unacceptable to Ukraine, that is significant win to Vladimir Putin that will not just embolden him but others around the world, including in our region,” Senator Paterson told the ABC.
“If there’s a ceasefire without adequate security guarantees, particularly led by the United States, then there is nothing to stop Putin resuming his war at another stage when he is ready.
“That would be a disaster for everyone.”
He went on to say Australia “wouldn’t want China to misinterpret what is happening in Europe”.
“Firstly, we want the Americans to continue to support Ukraine because it is possible that China would take lessons in our region, including in relation to Taiwan, which would be a disaster.
“It would be a mistake for China to believe that the United States views the Indo-Pacific in the same way.”
Camera IconOpposition senator James Paterson says it ‘would be a mistake for China to believe that the United States views the Indo-Pacific in the same way’ as Europe. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
Though, Senator Paterson added “most America first people” he had met in US foreign policy circles told him “that America is a resident power in the Pacific”.
“There is no retreat for them and we shouldn’t expect that on this administration or any other,” he said.
Tensions with China have been building over the past decade as Canberra and Beijing find themselves competing for regional influence.
What has been largely an economic rivalry has in recent years taken an increasingly militaristic shape, with the Albanese government warning of a “new Indo-Pacific missile age”.
The new nature of the contest has been highlighted by the ******** warships now lurking off Australia’s south coast.
Bipartisan backing
Senator Paterson also reaffirmed the Coalition’s support for Ukraine.
“I think Australia’s military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine has been very important,” he said.
“It should continue. We should continue to examine what else we can do in that department.”
Later on Sunday, Anthony Albanese praised the Ukrainian President as “a hero” during a press conference in Sydney.
“He has provided leadership at an extraordinarily difficult time,” the Prime Minister said of Mr Zelensky.
“Russia is a very large country which borders Ukraine.
“They have a substantially larger military and capacity, and at the time of the ******** and immoral Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were many people writing … that this was a conflict that would last days or weeks … there weren’t many suggesting that more than three years later now the Ukrainian people are continuing to defend their sovereignty and their nation.
“They have shown great bravery, and President Zelenskyy has shown leadership.”
He added that there was “absolute bipartisan support of everyone in the national parliament” for Ukraine.
Mr Albanese was among the many world leaders to publicly post messages of support for Mr Zelenskyy and his country after the clash with the US President.
Source link
#Warning #China #lessons #Ukraine #White #House #clash
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
What time will the private Blue Ghost probe land on the moon Sunday? How to watch live.
What time will the private Blue Ghost probe land on the moon Sunday? How to watch live.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Firefly Aerospace’s first Blue Ghost lunar lander attempts to land on the moon in this artist’s rendering. It will try it for real on March 2, 2025. | Credit: Firefly Aerospace
The private spaceflight company Firefly Aerospace will attempt its first-ever moon landing in the wee hours of Sunday (March 2) and you’ll be able to see it live, but you do need to know when and where to watch. Luckily for you, we’ve got it covered.
Firefly Aerospace’s robotic Blue Ghost lander is scheduled to land on the moon on Sunday no earlier than 3:34 a.m. EST (0834 GMT) when it touches down on the vast Sea of Crises (or Mare Crisium). You’ll be able to watch the landing live on this page, courtesy of NASA and Firefly Aerospace, starting about an hour before the landing attempt.
The $93.3 million Blue Ghost launched on Jan. 15 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 10 NASA experiments as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, program. If all goes well, the probe will spend two weeks studying the lunar surface, but first it has to land safely. Read on for the exact timing of Blue Ghost’s moon landing and what it will do on the lunar surface. And check out this awesome Blue Ghost video of the moon during a recent orbit.
What time will Blue Ghost land on the moon?
The final stages of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost moon lander are shown here, chronicling its last hour before touchdown. | Credit: Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace is currently targeting a 3:34 a.m. EST landing for the Blue Ghost lander (it will be 2:34 a.m. CST at the company’s central Texas headquarters), but the landing sequence itself begins much earlier.
“Our landing event kind of takes place, really, over about an hour,” Ray Allensworth, Firefly Aerospace’s spacecraft program director, told Space.com’s Mike Wall in an interview. “Several hours before the actual event is where we will send the commands to the lander.”
Those commands will set the stage for a deorbit and landing process that will take about 63 minutes, starting with a so-called descent orbit insertion burn while the lander is 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface. The lander will then coast down to an altitude of just over 12 miles (20 km), then fire its engines in a “powered descent initialization” (or PDI) burn.
“PDI until landing is fully autonomous, so our onboard software packages will fully take control of the lander,” Allensworth said, adding that Blue Ghost’s onboard navigation system, cameras and rangefinders will take over to find a safe spot to land.
“So that 12 to 13 minutes is going to be a little bit nail-biting, but it is autonomous,” she added.
Can I watch Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost landing live?
Yes, you can definitetly watch Blue Ghost attempt to land on the moon in real time, in livestreams from NASA and Firefly Aerospace.
NASA’s livestream of the landing will begin about an hour before launch at 2:30 a.m. EST (0730 GMT) and will run through the landing. You can watch live on the NASA+ streaming service and the NASA YouTube channel. It’s NASA’s livestream that Space.com will carry on this page, as well as on our front page.
Firefly Aerospace, meanwhile, is offering daily Blue Ghost mission updates on its website and has set up its own YouTube feed for landing day. That livestream will begin at 2:20 a.m. EST (0720 GMT).
No matter which YouTube feed you watch, the Blue Ghost landing attempt could be a nail-biting experience, given it’s the first of its kind for Firefly Aerospace. Still, the spacecraft has performed smoothly on its 45-day trip to the moon.
“I think with each burn that we’ve done, we’ve started kind of gaining confidence, especially because some of our burns have had such extreme precision,” Allensworth. “We’re like, ‘Oh, okay, we did do good. Like, we are prepared. It is going well.”
Where will Blue Ghost land on the moon?
This NASA map shows the location of the vast impact basin Mare Crisium, or Sea of Crises, on the moon’s Earth-facing near side. It’s where Blue Ghost will land. | Credit: NASA
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander will touch down in a vast impact basin on the moon’s near side, the side that faces Earth, called Mare Crisium (the Sea of Crises).
Mare Crisium is a basalt plain that covers about 68,000 square miles (176,000 square kilometers) of the moon, making it about the size of the U.S. state of Missouri, according to NASA.
“It is the scar left behind when a massive asteroid impacted the lunar surface several billion years ago, and the crater flooded with dark, igneous lava,” NASA wrote in an overview. Blue Ghost is targeting a spot on a low volcanic dome called Mons Latreille inside the basin. Scientists suspect the region is unique from the Apollo landing sites visited by astronauts in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and could yield new discoveries about the moon’s composition.
Allensworth said that Blue Ghost will target a zone about 328 feet (100 meters) long, “where NASA’s like, ‘We’re cool if you land anywhere in here.'”
What is riding to the moon on Blue Ghost?
This artist’s rendering shows the LuSEE-Night atop the Blue Ghost spacecraft that’s scheduled to deliver the experiment to the moon. | Credit: Firefly Aerospace
There are 10 NASA payloads riding on Blue Ghost, all of them fixed to the spacecraft, which stands 6.6 feet (2 meters) tall and is 11.5 feet (3.5 m) wide. The payloads weigh about 330 pounds (150 kilograms) altogether. Here’s a a short look at what they are, but for a deeper dive, check out our story about what’s onboard Blue Ghost.
Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector: A device that will serve as a reflective target for pulses shot from Earth-based Lunar Laser Ranging Observatories to measure the distance between Earth and the moon within the sub-millimeter range.
Regolith Adherence Characterization: An experiment containing 30 different types of material surfaces to be exposed to the moon’s environment after landing to determine how they’re affected by the lunar environment and dust.
Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager: A experiment that will monitor the interaction of solar wind with Earth’s magnetosphere, and how energy in that environment generates geomagnetic storms.
Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity: A small drill expected to cut up to 9 feet (3 meters) below the lunar surface to measure the moon’s heat flow at different depths.
Electrodynamic Dust Shield: A tech demonstration payload to test how electric fields can manipulate lunar dust on the moon’s surface.
Radiation Tolerant Computer System: Another tech demonstration to test a potential method to protect computers from the harsh radiation environment in space and on the moon.
Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder: This instrument is an weird one. It will help scientists calculate the electrical conductiveness of the moon by monitoring interactions between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field.
Lunar PlanetVac: It is what it sounds like — a vacuum-like device to collect lunar dust samples with a pneumatic system powered by compressed gas.
Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies: This is a camera on Blue Ghost that will record images of the moon during the lander’s descent and study how the probe’s thruster plume kicks up dust during touchdown.
Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment: This is a navigation system experiment that will attempt to use Earth’s own guidance and navigation satellite system (GNSS) for spacecraft tracking around the moon.
How long will Blue Ghost last on the moon?
Blue Ghost is not designed to last forever on the moon.
It will take 45 days for the lander to reach the lunar surface, but the probe is only designed to last one lunar day, the equivalent of about 14 Earth days. That allows the NASA payloads on the solar-powered Blue Ghost to make their science observations during the lunar daytime, before the long night covers the region in darkness and chill.
But it should be an eventful two weeks, which will end just after a total lunar eclipse on March 14 turns the moon blood red to observers on Earth. It will look quite different to Blue Ghost.
“On March 14, Firefly expects to capture high-definition imagery of a total eclipse when the Earth blocks the sun above the moon’s horizon,” Firefly Aerospace wrote in an overview. “Blue Ghost will then capture the lunar sunset on March 16, providing data on how lunar dust levitates due to solar influences and creates a lunar horizon glow first documented by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17.”
The moon lander should last only a few hours into the lunar night before shutting down, Firefly Aerospace said.
What if Blue Ghost can’t land on the moon?
Firefly Aerospace is hoping for the best with Blue Ghost’s planned moon landing, but if the company isn’t able to touch down on time at Mare Crisium, it may have another chance.
While the target time for the Blue Ghost moon landing is 3:34 a.m. EST (0834 GMT), it is possible that something may come up before the lander leaves orbit that could cause a delay. If that happens, flight controllers could delay the landing and fly around the moon a couple of more times.
If either of the two final descent and landing burns “isn’t perfectly executed on the first try, we will have a chance to go around the moon again on both of those burns, to do another orbit and try again,” Allensworth said. “Which could delay our landing time by one to two hours.”
That decision will likely be made in real time as Blue Ghost orbits the moon at an altitude of about 62 miles (100 km). It should take the lander about 63 minutes to reach the lunar surface once it begins its descent.
Editor’s note: Visit Space.com for the latest news on Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost mission and tune in on March 2 for our landing livestream and coverage. Space.com Spaceflight Editor Mike Wall contributed to this report.
Source link
#time #private #Blue #Ghost #probe #land #moon #Sunday #watch #live
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Gervonta 'Tank' Davis vs. Lamont ****** Jr. live updates, results and analysis – ESPN
Gervonta 'Tank' Davis vs. Lamont ****** Jr. live updates, results and analysis – ESPN
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Lamont ****** Jr. live updates, results and analysis ESPNHow to watch Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs Lamont ****** title fight: Time, PPV, streaming info PennLiveGervonta Davis vs. Lamont ****** Jr. fight predictions, odds, undercard, start time, preview, expert picks CBS SportsTank Davis vs Lamont ******: Live streaming updates and results, round by round, how to watch, PPV price, start time Bad Left HookHow to watch Gervonta Davis vs Lamont ****** fight today: Time, live updates, fight card Tennessean
Source link
#Gervonta #039Tank039 #Davis #Lamont #****** #live #updates #results #analysis #ESPN
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard’s sudden exit shows how power is shifting in healthcare
NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard’s sudden exit shows how power is shifting in healthcare
PA Media
Amanda Pritchard, head of NHS England, would have regular Monday meetings with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to review performance and address challenges. But last Monday was different. After discussing the state of the health service, she announced she was stepping down – with just one month’s notice.
It came as a shock to many in the organisation, under which there are 1.4 million staff who deal with 1.7 million patients everyday. But those in the know had suspected something was happening – though not the timing.
That meeting between Pritchard and Streeting was the natural conclusion of changes which had been rumbling on in the corridors of power for some time.
NHS England was given autonomy by the then-Conservative Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in 2013. The aim was to free the organisation from interference by politicians.
Under Sir Simon Stevens – now Lord Stevens – NHS England developed into what looked like a rival power base and led by an alternative health secretary. He was at the heart of work drawing up long-term NHS plans under David Cameron and Theresa May. Lord Stevens knew his way around Whitehall and knew how to win backroom battles with ministers.
Getty Images
It became increasingly clear that the way NHS England is run would change once Health Secretary Wes Streeting (right) and the Labour government took over
Amanda Pritchard had been deputy to Lord Stevens since 2019 and played a vital role in the NHS response to the pandemic, including the vaccine roll-out. It had seemed inevitable she would take over the top job in 2021. Understandably, she expected to continue in the same vein as her predecessor. But with the arrival of a Labour government last year that certainty began to weaken.
The first clue that things would be going back to a more traditional management regime, with more direct government control, came when two health experts were appointed from previous Labour governments: Alan Milburn, Blair’s health secretary, and Paul Corrigan, an adviser. It became clear that they would be involved in shaping policy with Wes Streeting.
One well-placed health source said those two “remembered the old days”, before the NHS’s shift to autonomy, which they felt made the system “too bureaucratic”.
Another clue came when work began on a new NHS 10-year plan for England. With previous plans Lord Stevens had “held the pen”, but this time the government brought in Sally Warren from the King’s Fund think tank – outside NHS England management – to head up the the work.
At the same time, noises were being made about slimming down NHS England management – and instead devolving money to local health boards and patient services. Government sources deny that NHS England is being subsumed into the health department but say it will have a “leaner” role, cutting out duplication.
Getty Images
Lord Stevens was NHS England’s chief executive for more than seven years, including during the pandemic years
Amanda Pritchard was well aware of the direction of travel. She could see that her job was going to change and had considered stepping down later this year. There has been no suggestion of any row or confrontation with Wes Streeting.
NHS officials say that the decision to leave at the end of March was because it will be the end of a financial year – and there was no need to stay for the launch of the 10-year plan in the early summer.
In January Ms Pritchard had a bruising experience at the hands of two parliamentary select committees. One suggested she and colleagues were “complacent” and another said they were disappointed with “lengthy and diffuse answers”. In a BBC interview she admitted that “we’re not all brilliant performers at committee hearings” but it was right to be scrutinised. Privately, according to sources, she found the process “frustrating given how much time she had given to the role” under some of the most difficult years in the history of the NHS.
She will be replaced by Sir Jim Mackey, an experienced NHS trust boss, who is being titled the “transition” chief executive. Policy will be run by Wes Streeting’s department with Sir Jim, we are told, focusing on delivery including cutting the hospital waiting list of nearly 7.5 million. He had recently helped draft a recovery plan for planned treatment and appointments.
So where does all this leave the NHS?
On one hand, Amanda Pritchard has provided consistent leadership in various roles under six different health secretaries. The autonomy of NHS England enabled its chief executive to bang the drum for the health service and pressure the government.
But on the other hand, serious problems remain with patient outcomes and those closer to Streeting argue more direct government control means less bureaucracy, and the ability to free up resources to deploy where needed.
One health source argued that the upcoming changes would end confusion over policy and strategy and encourage collaboration between ministers and NHS England – without being a formal takeover. But another suggested it was “a bit of a mess” and there could now be instability and distractions for NHS administrators when they need to focus on wider health challenges.
Much will depend on how much money is allocated in the Treasury spending review.
It’s patients that matter – and it’s not yet clear whether or not these changes will help them.
Source link
#NHS #England #boss #Amanda #Pritchards #sudden #exit #shows #power #shifting #healthcare
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rules out election call on his birthday – and overlap with WA campaign
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rules out election call on his birthday – and overlap with WA campaign
Anthony Albanese has joked that if he heads to the Governor-General’s residence in Yarralumla this afternoon, it will only be for a piece of birthday cake.
This effectively rules out him calling an election for April 5 — meaning there will be no overlap of the WA and Federal campaign periods.
The Prime Minister celebrated his 62nd birthday on Sunday by holding a media conference in western Sydney to announce an election promise to build more urgent care clinics, before heading back to Canberra.
He said he had a “quiet dinner at the Lodge” planned with partner Jodie Haydon and his son Nathan.
But with just five viable Saturdays left to hold an election by the May 17 due date, speculation is intense over when Mr Albanese will call the campaign.
“I am going to Canberra this afternoon. So if you keep your eye on that white car with the little flag on the front, if I dropped by the Governor-General’s this afternoon, it would be for maybe a birthday cake or something like that,” Mr Albanese told reporters.
“I’m not sure if the Governor-General’s aware it’s my birthday today!”
One option is to move next Sunday in the wake of the WA results and send voters to the polls on April 12.
This would mean the Budget pencilled in for March 25 wouldn’t go ahead on that date.
It was reported last week the Government was considering an option for Treasurer Jim Chalmers to deliver an economic update in the near future in lieu of a full Budget, then have the full books laid bare in the independent pre-election fiscal outlook (PEFO).
Dr Chalmers — whose birthday was also on Sunday — said the timing of an election was a decision for the Prime Minister and he was focused on his role as Treasurer in pulling together the Budget.
“Obviously, even on my birthday … in a very charitable mood, I’m not going to go into the private conversations that I have with the Prime Minister and with the senior colleagues in the Cabinet,” he told Sky News.
Mr Albanese said cabinet would meet as usual on Monday.
“We’re continuing to govern. Cabinet will meet tomorrow. We’re continuing to put together a Budget. This week, I’ll be in at least three states. That’s what I do. I work hard each and every day, and I don’t disappear for days or weeks on end,” he said, in a dig at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
The Prime Minister is expected to be in WA later this week, as next Saturday’s State election day nears.
Source link
#Prime #Minister #Anthony #Albanese #rules #election #call #birthday #overlap #campaign
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
******** says pope’s respiratory condition worsens
******** says pope’s respiratory condition worsens
Pope Francis has suffered a setback in hospital, the ******** said.
The 88-year-old “experienced an isolated episode of bronchospasm,” according to a medical bulletin published Friday evening.
Bronchospasm occurs when the muscles that line the bronchi in the lungs tighten.
This led to an episode of him vomiting and “a sudden worsening of his respiratory condition,” the bulletin added. Pope Francis was given non-invasive mechanical ventilation.
“He has remained alert and aware at all times, cooperating with therapeutic treatments.”
But the prognosis “remains guarded,” the bulletin concluded
Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, has been treated at Rome’s Gemelli Rome for two weeks now, suffering from bilateral pneumonia.
In the past few days, the daily evening bulletins had reported a slight improvement.
Source link
#******** #popes #respiratory #condition #worsens
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Fresh Musk emails to workers lead to renewed pushback at federal agencies – The Washington Post
Fresh Musk emails to workers lead to renewed pushback at federal agencies – The Washington Post
Fresh Musk emails to workers lead to renewed pushback at federal agencies The Washington PostDOGE doubles down on ‘What did you do last week’ emails — with a new requirement New York Post OPM’s second email to federal employees asks what they did last week — and adds a new requirement: report Fox News‘Trump Gaza’ Video Creators Call It a ‘Joke,’ Reject U.S. ‘Propaganda Machine’ The Daily Beast
Source link
#Fresh #Musk #emails #workers #lead #renewed #pushback #federal #agencies #Washington #Post
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
In the US, DEI is under attack. But under a different name, it might live on
In the US, DEI is under attack. But under a different name, it might live on
BBC
In Union County, South Carolina, the sprawling cotton mills that once put bread on the table for many are long gone. Union is also what is termed a “food desert”, where many residents live far from the nearest supermarket. So in 2016, local non-profit director Elise Ashby began working with farmers to deliver discounted boxes of farm-fresh produce across the county, where 30% of the population is ****** and roughly 25% live in poverty.
To fund this, Ms Ashby first relied on her own savings and then some small-scale grants. But in 2023, the Walmart Foundation – the philanthropic arm of one of America’s largest corporations – awarded her over $100,000 (£80,000), as part of a $1.5m programme to fund “community-based non-profits led by people of colour”.
“I cried a little bit,” she says. “It was just one of those times where, like, somebody actually sees what you’re doing.”
Two years ago, this was the kind of programme that attracted sponsorship from major companies across America, as the country grappled with racism past and present following the ******* of George Floyd, a ****** man suffocated under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest in 2020.
But now, those same companies are pulling back. Walmart announced in November that it was ending some of its diversity initiatives, including plans to close its Center for Racial Equity, which supported Ms Ashby’s grant.
Elise Ashby
In 2023, the Walmart Foundation awarded Ms Ashby’s non-profit RobinHood Group over $100,000 (£80,000) as part of a $1.5m programme
Corporations from Meta and Google to Goldman Sachs and McDonald’s have all announced similar changes as part of a larger retreat from diversity, equity and inclusion programmes (DEI) across the corporate landscape.
The moment represents a stark cultural shift, fuelled in part by fears of lawsuits, investigations, and social media backlash, as well as relentless pressure from the new president of the United States.
Since assuming office in January, Donald Trump has aggressively sought to “terminate DEI” and “restore merit-based opportunity” in the US. He has directed the federal government to end its DEI programmes and investigate private companies and academic institutions thought to be engaged in “******** DEI”.
In the early days of his second term, the Veterans Affairs department has closed its DEI offices, the Environmental Protection Agency has placed nearly 200 employees who worked in its civil rights office on paid leave and Trump has fired the top military general, a ****** man whom his defence secretary had previously said should be fired because of his involvement in “woke” DEI.
At first sight, it may appear that the US’s experiment with policies designed to improve outcomes for specific racial and identity-based groups is finished. But some experts suggest there’s another possibility, that some such efforts will continue – but in a different guise, one more suited to the political mood of a country that has just elected a president who has pledged a war on “woke”.
The making of a backlash
Programmes resembling DEI first emerged in earnest in the US in the 1960s, in the wake of the civil rights movement that fought to protect and expand the rights of ****** Americans.
Under names like “affirmative action” and “equal opportunity”, initially their aim was to reverse the damaging effects of centuries of enslavement of African Americans and decades of discrimination under “Jim Crow” laws that enforced racial segregation.
Getty Images
DEI programmes surged in 2020 amid the ****** Lives Matter movement and growing calls for social change
As the movement evolved, promoting the rights of women, the LGBT community, and other racial and ethnic groups, use of the terms “diversity”, “equity” and “inclusion” became more widespread.
DEI programmes in the corporate world and government agencies have often focused on hiring practices and policies emphasising diversity as a commercial benefit. Their supporters say they aim to address disparities affecting people from a range of backgrounds, though a significant emphasis tends to be on race.
The programmes saw a huge upswing in 2020 during the social unrest of the ****** Lives Matter movement. For example, Walmart committed $100m over five years to its racial equity centre. Wells Fargo appointed its first chief diversity officer; Google and Nike already had theirs in place. After adjusting their hiring practices, companies listed on the S&P 100 added more than 300,000 jobs – 94% of which went to people of colour, according to Bloomberg.
But almost as quickly as the pendulum swung left, a conservative backlash began. For Stefan Padfield, executive director of conservative think-tank the National Center for Public Policy Research, DEI programmes are based on a premise that “divides people on the basis of race and sex”.
More recently, these arguments that programmes intended to combat discrimination were themselves discriminatory, particularly against white Americans, have been made with increasing force. Training sessions emphasising concepts like “white privilege” and racial bias have drawn particular scrutiny.
The roots of this opposition took hold in conservative opposition to critical race theory (CRT), an academic concept which argues racism is endemic to American society. Over time, the campaign to remove books from classrooms that allegedly indoctrinated students into CRT thinking evolved into one focused on “punishing woke corporations”.
Social media accounts like End Wokeness and conservative activists such as Robby Starbuck seized the moment to target companies accused of being “woke”. Mr Starbuck has taken credit for changes in policy at the likes of Ford, John Deere and Harley-Davidson after he publicised details of their DEI initiatives to his social media followers.
Getty Images
A Bud Light partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney led to calls to boycott the beer and its parent company
One of the clearest signs of this movement’s strength came in spring 2023, after a Bud Light partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney sparked right-wing outrage and calls for a boycott of the beer and its parent company Anheuser-Busch. In the aftermath of the campaign, Bud Light sales were 28% lower than usual, a Harvard Business Review analysis found.
Another major victory for conservatives arrived in June 2023, when the Supreme Court ruled that race could no longer be considered as a factor in university admissions, reversing decades of affirmative action-based policy.
The ruling also cast the legal standing of corporate DEI policies into uncertainty. When Meta made the internal announcement it was cancelling DEI programmes, the company told staff “the legal and policy landscape” surrounding DEI had changed.
Business under pressure
The speed at which some large corporations have shed their DEI policies raises the question of how genuine their commitment to diversifying their workforces was in the first place.
Martin Whittaker, chief executive at JUST Capital, a non-profit that surveys Americans on workplace issues, says much of the backtracking comes from companies who were “rushing to kind of look good” at the height of the ****** Lives Matter movement.
Getty Images
Martin Whittaker, CEO of JUST Capital, says some companies that embraced DEI during the ****** Lives Matter movement are now backtracking, having initially acted to “look good”
But not all are yielding to political and legal pressure. Conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation noted in a November report that although DEI programmes appear to be trending downwards, “nearly all” Fortune 500 companies still list DEI commitments somewhere on their websites. Apple shareholders recently voted to continue diversity programmes at the company.
Surveys that measure Americans’ support for DEI offer mixed results. JUST Capital’s survey suggests support for DEI has declined, but support for issues closely linked to it – such as fair pay – have not. A 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center suggested most employed adults (56%) believed “focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing”.
So does it actually work?
Much rests on the question of whether DEI is actually effective in the first place.
Some research has suggested that DEI programmes like diversity training can in fact be harmful. According to one study by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Tel Aviv, trainers commonly report hostility and resistance from employees who feel forced to do the training and threatened by what they see as reverse discrimination; it also says the programmes can often leave trainees feeling more hostility towards other groups.
This research has been seized on by DEI’s opponents as part of the evidence that “the best way to improve the lives of all our citizens, and all our neighbours, is to allow the free market to lift all the boats”, as Mr Padfield puts it.
The problem with this kind of thinking, according to Siri Chilazi, a researcher focused on gender equity at Harvard University, is that there is no historical precedent to suggest that racial and gender imbalances will correct themselves. Mrs Chilazi says racial and gender barriers still exist and believes DEI solutions focused on “levelling the playing field for all” are needed.
She cites multiple experiments that show white men disproportionately receive more responses after applying for jobs than women or people of colour. A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research sent identical CVs to roughly 100 of the largest US companies and found that applicants presumed to be white were contacted by employers 9.5% more often than applicants presumed to be ****** – with one company contacting presumed white applicants 43% more often.
But Mrs Chilazi also says there are genuine issues with many DEI programmes, adding that the most common programmes – including diversity and unconscious bias training and employee resource or affinity groups – are often the least effective. A recent study highlighting the ineffectiveness of some DEI practices said a common issue was treating them as an end goal in themselves, without measurable outcomes.
Getty Images
Mrs Chilazi says there is little data to measure the impact of big corporations funding DEI initiatives
And when it comes to large corporations donating money towards DEI initiatives – like Walmart’s equity centre – Mrs Chilazi says the problem is that there is not much data to show how effective this is. “This is an area where we actually don’t have good research,” she says.
Where studies have shown DEI to be effective is when it comes to making “small systemic changes”, she says. There is evidence to suggest replacing open-ended questions in performance evaluations with more specific ones, such as “what’s the one biggest accomplishment of this person last year?”, has shown significant reductions in gender and racial evaluation gaps that can affect pay, according to Mrs Chilazi.
A mixed picture in education
Supporters of DEI say the real-world impact of the shift from it can be seen at Harvard University, which was targeted in the landmark Supreme Court case.
Last autumn, Harvard Law School reported having only 19 first-year ****** students among more than 500 students that enrolled, according to the American Bar Association. That was less than half the number from the previous year – 43 – and the lowest since the 1960s. The law school also saw a significant decline in Hispanic student enrolment, which dropped from 63 to 39 between 2023 and 2024.
Getty Images
Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, enrolment numbers for ****** and Hispanic students at some top US universities have risen
Colleges and schools have already begun making adjustments in response to the new climate. At one university, a lunar new year celebration was cancelled; another ended a decades-long forum on race. Elsewhere, social clubs for ****** and Asian students have been disbanded.
But the ruling’s impact does not appear straightforward. Enrolment numbers for ****** and Hispanic students at some other top US colleges have actually increased since the Supreme Court’s decision.
For the freshman class that arrived in the autumn, Northwestern University saw an 11% rise in enrolment for ****** students and a 13% increase for Hispanic students.
Because of results like these, some DEI opponents have accused universities of flouting the court’s ruling.
But another explanation offered for the increase in diversity at some universities is a shift towards “socio-economic inclusion” instead of race and ethnicity – which nonetheless appears to have achieved the same objective.
Dartmouth University’s Hispanic student enrolment jumped from 9.7% to 12.7% last year, after adjusting to make the school “more accessible for low- and middle-income families”, it said in a press release.
Looking ahead
It’s clear that the anti-DEI campaigns are having a significant real-world impact. “I think we are in the midst of a big shift,” says Mrs Chilazi.
Michelle Jolivet, author of Is DEI Dead?: The Rebranding of Inclusive Organizations, says she is worried that the anti-DEI movement will lead to progress stalling for historically disadvantaged groups.
“Things that matter are measured, and when you stop measuring them, they stop happening,” she says. “Then you do stop making progress.”
But as to the question at the centre of her book – is DEI dead? – Jolivet says the answer is no.
The companies that appear to have cancelled their DEI programmes are not really eliminating them, she says. Instead, they are just rebranding and reorganising to escape potential lawsuits.
She gave the example of Walmart renaming its chief diversity officer to chief belonging officer. Similarly, McDonald’s gave one of its programmes a facelift, changing the name of its Global DEI Center of Excellence to the Global Inclusion Team.
“DEI has become more of a controversial word,” she says. “If I just take that word out, I can still do the same thing.”
But not everyone is reassured.
Back in the fields of Union County, Elise Ashby looks towards the future with uncertainty. The grant from Walmart gave her access to capital that she argues ******-owned businesses often struggle to obtain.
She fears a return to when she “stayed up nights” wondering where the next cheque would come from and facing the kind of obstacles “white men don’t have”.
She says: “Am I concerned about the future? Absolutely.”
Additional reporting by Natalie Sherman
Top image credit: Getty Images
BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.
Source link
#DEI #attack #live
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
English designated as the official language of the US
English designated as the official language of the US
Donald Trump has signed an order designating English as the official language of the USA, removing the need to give language assistance to non-English speakers.
Source link
#English #designated #official #language
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
In the room where it happened: Trump advisers recall what led up to Oval Office confrontation
In the room where it happened: Trump advisers recall what led up to Oval Office confrontation
President Trump’s advisers on Saturday morning were still uncertain how to salvage a mining deal with Ukraine, which had been intended as a key first step in a Trump strategy to eventually secure a ceasefire and peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv.
What began as a formal meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Friday — a confidence-building step in a path toward peace between Russia and Ukraine — devolved into a feud, with finger-pointing and accusations.
The president’s closest advisers — stunned after the debacle in the Oval Office — huddled around the Cabinet Room’s oblong table for lunch, sources familiar with the events told CBS News.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles were joined by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina as the group rehashed what had just transpired.
They shared disbelief over what one source characterized as Zelenskyy badgering the president. Another official said that, had Zelenskyy kept his disagreements behind closed doors, the blowup wouldn’t have happened.
During the contentious meeting, Mr. Trump and Vance took an aggressive and sometimes belittling tone with Zelenskyy after he expressed doubt over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would honor a potential peace agreement given that he had repeatedly violated ceasefire deals, including the Minsk agreements, leading up to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In the hours after Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House at the behest of Rubio and Waltz — with a joint press conference scrapped — there was discussion about whether the Ukrainian leader should fire whoever may have advised him on Friday’s strategy. CBS News has reached out to Ukrainian officials for comment.
Some of the Trump team’s frustration targeted Zelenskyy’s chief adviser, Andriy Yermak, whom they believed had undermined negotiations in recent days. Others said they weren’t so sure it was an adviser problem.
It wasn’t the first time Zelenskyy had clashed with his American counterpart. President Biden once hung up on Zelenskyy because of the Ukrainian president’s perceived combativeness, sources familiar with the call told CBS News. The friction was kept private and officials insist the dispute was over policy — not basic facts like which country had started the war.
In recent days, there were signs the multibillion-dollar critical minerals deal might not come to fruition. Neither side had signed preliminary paperwork that typically precedes an economic agreement of this scale.
On Friday morning, Graham, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobochar of Minnesota, and others met privately with Zelenskyy at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C. They recommended that Zelenskyy avoid being contentious, say thank you and sign the deal without changes, according to people in the room.
Some Trump advisers were nervous the deal might go south before the ceremonial signing, but felt confident by the time Mr. Trump greeted Zelenskyy. They viewed it as an economic security guarantee, a shared investment binding the U.S. and Ukraine for a generation, sources said.
Zelenskyy had appealed to the West for ceasefire and post-war security guarantees, which were not explicitly included in the minerals deal. In Kyiv last month, Treasury Secretary Bessent had described the agreement as the foundation for a larger peace deal, and an economic partnership that would provide once the conflict is over a ‘long term security shield for all Ukrainians.’ However, the deal itself was not a ceasefire or peace agreement. Bessent described it as a very strong signal to Russian leadership of American commitment.
Kyiv had hoped for security guarantees up front that would secure a pledge by the U.S. to help keep the long term peace and prevent Russia from invading again.
The White House expected to finalize a version of the deal Friday that was essentially the same as one Bessent presented to Kyiv in mid-February. One modification: a provision was removed that would have placed a $500 billion cap on the value of minerals Ukraine would provide. The change was made at Ukraine’s request because Zelenskyy disliked the narrative that Ukraine owed a certain repayment for past aid, people familiar with the deal said.
“We were trying to make it reasonable for them,” one Trump adviser said. Trump’s team privately discussed how they liked the new version better because it meant a deal could be worth more than initially conceived.
The minerals deal was a concept Graham had circulated as an avenue to create a new, mutually beneficial relationship for the two countries. Zelenskyy had presented it to Mr. Trump, at Graham’s urging, at a meeting at Trump Tower in September.
But on Friday, staff quietly removed the formal ceremonial set-up from the East Room — a conference table and two podiums, and two sets of binders with unsigned documents.
Zelenskyy on Saturday arrived in London to meet with sympathetic European allies. No plans had been made for Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy to speak again.
In the meantime, America remains the most significant military and financial backer of Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression. There is $3.85 billion in military equipment already designated for delivery to Ukraine, and it is not clear if Mr. Trump will still clear it for delivery.
“They are fortunate it’s not off already,” a senior U.S. official told CBS News.
As for any further pledges of U.S. support from the Republican-led Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson recently said there’s no appetite for it.
Jennifer Jacobs
Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News.
Source link
#room #happened #Trump #advisers #recall #led #Oval #Office #confrontation
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Law enforcement and Strawberry Fest organizers clash over traffic and security needs
Law enforcement and Strawberry Fest organizers clash over traffic and security needs
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office closed the entry gates to this year’s Strawberry Festival over traffic and safety issues today, according to Sheriff Michelle Cook.
Visitors reported huge traffic backups in the area near the fairgrounds as people came in droves to the annual event.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Sheriff Cook released a statement Saturday blasting the organizers for what she calls inadequate staffing:
“For the past few years we have gone back and forth with the promoter about the security and traffic needs for the Strawberry Festival. A couple of years ago they literally hired 2 deputies to work the event. Although they have increased the number of off duty deputies, the staffing is still not acceptable. Our deputies have been out there all day with no breaks. We’ve had to call in on duty personnel to assist. This is unacceptable. This will not happen again.
“Let me be very clear….the Strawberry Festival should hire enough staff to support an Incident Management Team (those that command and support the working personnel) and hire enough staff to support a full and comprehensive traffic plan – similar to what the Fair does – the CCSO will not support this event.”
The Clay County Agricultural Fair took to social media Saturday afternoon to assure that the weren’t responsible for the traffic this time.
“While we are certainly not perfect and have our bad days too, please know that we do staff vastly different than most to prepare for all different sorts of scenarios,” the Clay County Fair organizers said. “We work with what we’ve got the best we can, a two lane state road with one way in and out.”
The fair continued, saying it added 200 additional parking spots last year and is doubling its CCSO officers for parking and traffic enforcement on 2025′s busiest fair days.
The Clay County Agricultural Fair begins April 3rd.
Related: Clay County Fair announces 2025 concert lineup
Sheriff Cook is encouraging neighbors and event visitors to email the Strawberry Fest organizers any feedback they have about the event, especially regarding traffic issues.
The Sheriff’s Office plans to have more on-duty personnel assigned to the event tomorrow, but emphasized that “taxpayers should not have to pay for a private vendor event.”
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Source link
#Law #enforcement #Strawberry #Fest #organizers #clash #traffic #security
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander heads for touchdown attempt on the moon – CNN
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander heads for touchdown attempt on the moon – CNN
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander heads for touchdown attempt on the moon CNNHistoric lunar landing by Austin-area based Firefly Aerospace is this weekend KXAN.comPrivate Athena moon lander beams home gorgeous views of Earth from space (photos) Space.comHow to Watch Firefly’s Blue Ghost Attempt Its Historic Moon Landing Gizmodo
Source link
#Fireflys #Blue #Ghost #lander #heads #touchdown #attempt #moon #CNN
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Netflix shines light on Toxic Town true story of Corby scandal
Netflix shines light on Toxic Town true story of Corby scandal
Danny Fullbrook
BBC News, Northamptonshire
James Stack/Netflix
The stars of Toxic Town met their real-life counterparts. From left, actress Claudia Jessie stands with Maggie Mahon; Tracey Taylor stands with Aimee Lou Wood and Susan McIntyre stands with Jodie Whittaker
Many of the stars of Toxic Town had not heard of the scandal the drama is based on, but are hoping the Netflix retelling will bring it into the spotlight.
The show follows the real-life battle of families in Corby, Northamptonshire, whose children were born with defects in the 1980s and 90s.
In court it was argued that toxic airborne pollutants from the town’s demolished steelworks had harmed unborn babies.
Actor Brendan Coyle, who was born in Corby, admitted he had been unaware of the story, but said there was excitement in his hometown to see it told to the world.
“One of the mothers has been in touch… It’s kind of the talk of the town. People are excited about it,” he said.
“For them, the mothers and these children, to have their story told… it’s amazing. It’s something that’s been buried for a long time in terms of people’s perception.”
Ben Blackall/Netflix
Brendan Coyle is from Corby, where the show is set
In the drama, the Downton Abbey star plays Roy Thomas, a fictional Corby borough councillor.
The 62-year-old actor explained that, like many in the town, his family had moved from Scotland to work at the Corby Steelworks, which in 1979, just before its closure, had about 10,000 employees.
“When I was born in Corby, 80% of the population of that town had been born in Scotland,” he said.
“My granny and granddad came down from Bellshill, which is a mining community outside Glasgow. They never lost their accent because you’re in amongst it, you know?”
James Stack/Netflix
Toxic Town was written by Jack Thorne, who adapted fantasy series His Dark Materials for television
Members of his family, including his brother, still live and work in the area.
“My brother asked ‘Is there any craic in this?'” he laughed.
“On the surface it’s very bleak… but in the documentary [the Horizon programme on the case] you see the women they talk to and there’s great spirit and humour and great craic.
“I think Jack [Thorne, writer of the drama] has captured that brilliantly.”
Netflix
Corby is known for its sense of humour and warmth, according to executive producer Annabel Jones
For executive producer Annabel Jones, humour was an important part of the storytelling.
She said: “Corby is known for its sense of humour; known for its warmth. I wanted to make sure that comes across through the characters as well, because I want it to feel true to Corby.
“I didn’t want it to feel that people didn’t have a sense of hope at that time.”
The Emmy and Bafta-winning Welsh producer first heard about the scandal while in lockdown during the pandemic.
A friend, from Corby, told her about the case while they were on a masked-up walk in a park.
She recalled: “I was absolutely gobsmacked that, firstly, I have never heard of this story, and secondly, why have I never heard of this story?
“This really needs to be pulled into the public consciousness; we need to be made aware so things like this don’t happen again.”
James Stack/Netflix
Susan McIntyre reassured Jodie Whittaker she nailed the Corby accent
From that point, the 53-year-old began speaking to as many people involved in the case as possible to ensure their stories were told story accurately.
One of the nuances of the adaptation is the Corby accent, which Coyle compared to a “diluted” Scottish accent.
He said: “It’s an odd one but I can recognise it anywhere. I’ve been on a tube before and been like ‘Are you from Corby?’ There is nothing like it.”
The executive producer added: “It’s such a particular accent because obviously Corby has lots of different influences… We did work with lots of accent coaches to try and perfect it.
“Jodie Whittaker really worked hard. It was probably the thing she was most nervous about. When she met with Susan she very kindly reassured her and told her she’d done a good job.”
Netflix
Robert Carlyle described Toxic Town as “a story of hope”
Other members of the cast met or emailed the people they played to help craft their performance.
However, this was not an option for Robert Carlyle. The man he portrayed, Corby borough councillor Sam Hagen, died in October 2022, a year before filming began.
To help, the production team sourced hours of video footage in which the real-life politician told his story.
Carlyle, who starred in The Full Monty, said: “He’s got a straight kind of voice; a slightly higher kind of Glasgow man that talks like that… I thought… ‘That just sounds like my dad.’
“I thought ‘There’s elements here of my dad in Sam’ and that was my way in.”
Netflix
Netflix described the story as “one of the ***’s biggest environmental scandals”
The Trainspotting actor described his character as “a hero with a small h” who “fundamentally wants Corby to succeed”.
Carlyle said: “He was determined to make the best of his life down there to try and regenerate this town. He’s the kind of man who made sure the traffic lights are working correctly and there’s a zebra crossing in the right place.
“He does the right thing. It’s lovely; a lot of my characters aren’t like that. It’s nice to have a chance to play somebody who is inherently good.”
Netflix
Rory Kinnear did not speak to the real Des Collins, who he plays in Toxic Town
Castmate Rory Kinnear, who played solicitor Des Collins, explained the show never made a judgement on any of the characters, one way or the other
“Everyone believes they’re doing the right thing,” he said.
“It allows an audience to decide whether they think those people did do the right things at the right time for the right reason.”
Kinnear did not speak to the real-life lawyer while preparing for the role.
He said: “The choice of casting me means they were taking it in a slightly different way. I knew they were creating a version of Des in terms of age; in terms of look; in terms of lots of other things”
The real Des Collins, however, thought the Bond actor’s portrayal was very close to the truth: “He got me down to a tee. He was more me than I am,” he said.
“I ended up on a couple of occasions, having seen it, saying ‘Oh, I wish said that’ and then I realised it wasn’t me doing it, it was Rory Kinnear pretending to be me.”
Netflix
Toxic Town was a departure for Netflix, said Kinnear
The actor hopes the drama will get people talking. “As the sibling of a disabled person myself, one is well aware that they are not at the forefront of public interest,” he said.
“What excites me about this is, not just the story itself, but the fact Netflix are doing it and it’s a departure for them to do a four-part series like this of this subject matter.
“You could well imagine this being on late on BBC2 or Channel 4, and 250,000 loved it and watched it, but it doesn’t have any impact.
“I think Netflix’s ambition with it is to make sure it’s something everybody watches, talks about and is made aware of.”
Source link
#Netflix #shines #light #Toxic #Town #true #story #Corby #scandal
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Expert warns Tropical Cyclone Alfred to make landfall near Brisbane this week
Expert warns Tropical Cyclone Alfred to make landfall near Brisbane this week
An expert predicts Tropical Cyclone Alfred will make landfall near Brisbane later this week, while the Bureau warns of gale-force winds and “damaging” swells in two states.
Source link
#Expert #warns #Tropical #Cyclone #Alfred #landfall #Brisbane #week
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
US citizen faces hefty fines for accidentally bringing this common item into the country from overseas: ‘Are they serious?’
US citizen faces hefty fines for accidentally bringing this common item into the country from overseas: ‘Are they serious?’
Is this bananas?
A simple travel mistake will likely cost one man a lot.
Dylan O’Byrne, a New Jersey native who resides in Nashville, was returning from a trip in Southeast Asia when he accidentally skirted customs regulations by bringing in an unsuspecting — yet prohibited — item.
His flight from Singapore landed at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, where he went through customs and was asked if he had any items to declare. At the time, he said “no.”
“I never buy anything on trips — maybe like a trinket or two for friends but not anything I would need to declare — and we go on through,” he said in a viral TikTok video with over 828,000 views.
Then, they went to baggage claim. O’Byrne and his parents were “tired” and thrilled to be back in the States, only to be stopped by Border Patrol agents while trying to call an Uber.
O’Byrne recalled the police dogs sniffing around his luggage and the officers asking if he brought back anything “prohibited.” After the family’s adamant denial, the dog sat next to O’Byrne’s bag.
“I’m like, ‘What could this dog have possibly found?’” he said.
“A banana.”
O’Byrne revealed the customs culprit: a banana. Tiktok/@dylanobyrne
He claimed he forgot it was in his bag after he took it from an airport lounge. Tiktok/@dylanobyrne
The officer didn’t need to search hard for the smuggled fruit — it was sitting right on top of O’Byrne’s bag. He forgot that he snagged the banana in the airport lounge during his layover in Germany to save as a snack.
The Border Patrol agents confirmed it was his before scanning his passport and informing him that he would likely face “a penalty.”
“I am like, ‘Are they serious? They’re joking, right?’” O’Byrne said. “Nope, they’re not joking.”
“I looked into it, and even a banana can get you banned from Global Entry and a $500 fine,” he added.
At the date of posting last month, O’Byrne did not know whether he would actually face a punishment for bringing the prohibited item into the US. The Post has contacted him for comment.
“I was rightfully flabbergasted. I know what can and can’t be brought across borders — I’ve traveled my entire life, visited over 20 countries, and explored all 50 states thoroughly. But the way this was handled struck me as odd,” he told Newsweek.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the US prohibits most agricultural products from entering the country due to the risk of pests and diseases that could impact the environment in the States.
US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Anthony Bucci told the publication that, while the agency cannot discuss the details of individuals’ inspections, “all agricultural items must be declared” and prohibited items are confiscated.
“More importantly, civil penalties may be assessed for failure to declare prohibited agricultural products and may range up to $1,000 per first-time offense for noncommercial quantities,” Bucci said. “If the items are determined to be for commercial use, violations will be assessed at a much-higher rate.”
According to the CBP website, what fruits and vegetables are allowed into the US “depends on a number of factors,” citing an instance in the 1980s when one piece of contaminated fruit brought back to the US spread a fruit fly outbreak that cost millions in clean-up.
The site also warns travelers that failure to declare agricultural items will result in a $300 fine for first-time offenders, while a second violation will receive a penalty of $500.
He could now face a fine for his travel mishap. Instagram/dylanob1
“Sometimes you travel for 42 hours, sleep less than 6, and you forget,” O’Byrne said in the comments.
TikTokers were quick to inform him that it is, in fact, a “serious violation,” while others said they “could totally see” how this could happen by innocently snagging a piece of fruit at the airport.
“Fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc., can carry bugs or diseases that can impact our agriculture,” one person commented.
“Almost like [they] tell you 100 times not to bring fruit before you even land,” another chimed in.
“This just happened to a friend of mine for an orange,” someone else said, claiming that the person paid $1,000 in fines.
“If you are the type of person who can’t remember what they have or what is/isn’t allowed just always declare,” one user warned. “You can declare snacks and then they will ask follow up questions and check your bag.”
But O’Byrne called on lawmakers and regulators to “take into account the distinction between an honest mistake and an intentional attempt to circumvent border regulations.”
“The laws that protect our borders are crucial, but so is applying them with fairness and discretion,” he told Newsweek.
“I completely respect the need for border security, but I also hope there’s room for common sense in how penalties are applied. Laws meant to protect our nation should focus on real threats, not travelers who make a minor, unintentional error after 40 hours in transit.”
Source link
#citizen #faces #hefty #fines #accidentally #bringing #common #item #country #overseas
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
David Johansen, singer from the seminal punk band the New York Dolls, dies at 75 – The Associated Press
David Johansen, singer from the seminal punk band the New York Dolls, dies at 75 – The Associated Press
David Johansen, singer from the seminal punk band the New York Dolls, dies at 75 The Associated PressNew York Dolls singer David Johansen dead at 75 after daughter pleads with fans for help Fox NewsDavid Johansen, Who Fronted the New York Dolls and More, Dies at 75 The New York TimesDavid Johansen: a life in pictures The GuardianRock legend battling brain tumor, stage 4 ******* has died at 75 PennLive
Source link
#David #Johansen #singer #seminal #punk #band #York #Dolls #dies #Press
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Guitar Hero Mobile quietly emerges on Activisions Instagram
Guitar Hero Mobile quietly emerges on Activisions Instagram
A new Guitar Hero game looks set to be announced by Activision as Guitar Hero Mobile ads are appearing on Instagram out of the blue.
Source link
#Guitar #Hero #Mobile #quietly #emerges #Activisions #Instagram
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Families attacked online after South Korea plane ******
Families attacked online after South Korea plane ******
Kelly Ng & Juna MoonReporting fromSingapore and SeoulNEWS1
Park Han-shin, who lost his brother in the Jeju Air ******, has been accused of being a “fake bereaved family member”
A plane ****** in South Korea last December left Park Guen-woo an orphan. The 22-year-old had barely found space to mourn his parents when he came across a torrent of online abuse, conspiracies and malicious jokes made about the victims.
The Jeju Air plane, which was returning from Bangkok, Thailand, ******-landed at Muan International Airport on 29 December and exploded after slamming into a concrete barrier at the end of the runway, killing 179 of the 181 people on board.
Police investigations have identified and apprehended eight people who have been accused of making derogatory and defamatory online posts. These included suggestions that families were “thrilled” to receive compensation from authorities, or that they were “fake victims” – to the extent that some felt compelled to prove they had lost their loved ones.
Authorities have taken down at least 427 such posts.
But this is not the first time that bereaved families in South Korea have found themselves the targets of online abuse. Speaking to the BBC, experts described a culture where economic struggles, financial envy and social issues such as toxic competitiveness are fuelling hate speech.
Financial resentment
Following Seoul’s Halloween crowd crush in 2022, victims and bereaved families were similarly smeared. A man who lost his son in the incident had his photo doctored by hate groups – showing him laughing after receiving compensation.
People whose loved ones died in the Sewol ferry sinking in 2014 – a maritime disaster that saw 304 people killed, mostly schoolchildren – have also for years been the targets of hate speech.
The tragedy saw the government pay out an average of 420 million won ($292,840; £231,686) per victim – triggering comments that claimed this figure was unreasonably high.
“People who are living day by day feel the compensation is overrated and say the bereaved are getting ‘unfair treatment’ and that they are making a big deal when everyone’s life is hard,” Koo Jeong-woo, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan University, told news site The Korea Herald.
In later comments to the BBC, Prof Koo suggested that economic stress and a competitive job market – particularly in the wake of Covid – has left many people feeling socially isolated, exacerbating the issue of hate speech.
Many South Koreans, he says, now “view others not as their peers, but as adversaries”, pointing to a widespread culture of comparison in South Korea.
“We tend to compare a lot… if you put someone else down, it’s easier to feel superior yourself,” he told the BBC. “That’s why there’s a bit of tendency in Korea to engage in hate speech or make derogatory remarks, aiming to diminish others to elevate oneself.”
BBC Korean/Jungmin Choi
Park Guen-woo, 22, lost both his parents in the ******
Mr Park says the families of the Jeju Air ****** victims have been characterised as “parasites squandering the nation’s money”.
By way of example, he refers to a recent article about an emergency relief fund of three million won ($2,055; £1,632) that was raised for the bereaved through donations. That article was met with a flood of malicious comments, many referencing the erroneous suggestion that taxpayers’ money was used for the fund.
“It seems like the families of the Muan Airport victims have hit the jackpot. They must be secretly delighted,” said one such comment.
Mr Park says these comments were “overwhelming”.
“Even if compensation for the accident comes in, how could we possibly feel like recklessly spending it when it is the price of our loved ones’ lives?” he says. “Every single one of those comments cuts us deeply. We’re not here to make money.”
“Too many people, instead of being sensitive, build their entertainment on others’ suffering,” he adds. “When something like this happens, they belittle it and spew hateful remarks.”
Joshua Uyheng, a psychology professor in the Philippines who studies online hate, says that hate is often “directed towards [those] we believe are gaining some advantage at our expense”.
“We feel hatred when we [think we] are getting the short end of the stick.”
‘Taking advantage of others’ pain’
In the case of the Jeju Air ******, political dynamics only made things worse.
The accident came amid a ******* of political turmoil in South Korea, with the country reeling from suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s shock decision to enact martial law – an incident that politically divided the country.
Many supporters of President Yoon’s right-wing People Power Party have, without evidence, pinned blame for the ****** on the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), pointing to the fact that Muan Airport was originally built as part of a political pledge by the DP.
“The Muan airport tragedy is a man-made disaster caused by the DP,” read one comment on YouTube. Another described it as “100% the fault” of the party.
Park Han-shin, whose brother died in the plane ******, says he has been accused of being a DP member and “fake bereaved family member”. So extensive were these claims that his daughter took to social media to call them out.
“It pains me deeply to see my father, who lost his brother in such a tragedy, being labelled a ‘scammer’. It also makes me worried that this misinformation might lead my father to make wrong choices out of despair,” she wrote on Threads two days after the incident.
Park Han-shin says he is stunned by how people seem to “enjoy taking advantage of others’ pain”.
“That’s simply not something a human being should do,” he told the BBC.
“I am just an ordinary citizen. I am not here to enter politics. I came to find out the truth about my younger brother’s death.”
NEWS1
Police have arrested six people in relation to hateful comments against people associated with the victims of the Jeju Air ******
While there are no perfect solutions to hate, experts say social media companies should establish policies on what constitutes hate speech and moderate content posted on their platforms accordingly.
“Online users should be able to report malicious posts and comments smoothly, and platform companies must actively delete such content,” Prof Koo says. Law enforcement agencies should also take perpetrators to task, he adds.
Reminding people of their shared identities may also help, says Prof Uyheng.
“The less people feel that they are on opposite ends of a zero-sum game, perhaps the more they can feel that tragedies like these are the shared concern of us all – and that victims deserve empathy and compassion, not vitriol and condemnation.”
Source link
#Families #attacked #online #South #Korea #plane #******
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Debuts in 2nd on the *** Retail Charts
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Debuts in 2nd on the *** Retail Charts
Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes:
“You never quite know where RGG Studio is going to go next. In the past year and a half we’ve seen everything from a Yakuza series veteran turn into a secret agent to bringing Like a Dragon‘s Ichiban all the way to Hawaii for a new start in a brand new location for the franchise. Now, for the third game in that time fans get to return but this time it happens to be with fan favorite Goro Majima as the Mad Dog of Shimano cuts through the crystal-clear waters of the Hawaiian islands as a pirate in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Serving as both a spin-off and something of a continuation to the end of Infinite Wealth, how does this game continue the franchise all while telling its own crazy tale in a way only Majima can.”
Source link
#Dragon #Pirate #Yakuza #Hawaii #Debuts #2nd #Retail #Charts
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Privacy Notice: We utilize cookies to optimize your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. By consenting, you acknowledge and agree to our Cookie Policy, ensuring your privacy preferences are respected.
