China Launches First Independent Probe Bound For Mars In Major Milestone For Beijing’s Space Program

China Launches First Independent Probe Bound For Mars In Major Milestone For Beijing’s Space Program

Tyler Durden

Thu, 07/23/2020 – 07:19

As its geopolitical tussle with the US intensifies, and the novel coronavirus continues to ravage the world (though Beijing is working diligently on a vaccine to fix all that), China on Thursday succeeded in launching its first independent probe bound for Mars at 1241 local time on Thursday.

It’s a major step in Beijing’s aspirations to build a space program to rival the US’s.

According to Chinese media, the probe, named Tianwen-1, was launched via a Long March-5 rocket.

China’s Mars probe consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover. When the time comes, the lander and rover will make a soft landing on the surface. Afterwards, the rover will take samples of, and analyze, bits of Mars’ surface, atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetic field.

The probe’s name “Tianwen” means “questions to heaven” in Mandarin, and was inspired by an ancient poem written by legendary Chinese poet Qu Yuan. According to the government line, the mission represents the will of the Chinese people to explore further in space.

This is actually the second time China has tried to send a probe into Mars’ orbit. Back in 2011, China, working in cooperation with Russia, helped send the Yinghuo-1 spacecraft to orbit Mars. Unfortunately, the spacecraft got stranded in orbit because of a technical failure and was later declared lost by the China National Space Administration.

It’s expected that, upon landing successfully, the probe is expected to work for at least 90 Mars days, which is longer than three months on Earth. Bao Weimin, an academic with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua in June that the landing would be the most difficult part of the journey. The four-step process will take 7-8 minutes, and any mistake could scuttle the whole mission.

Footage shared with the BBC showed the rocket blasting off from its launch pad on Hainan Island, part of China’s southernmost province, Hainan, which consists mostly of a series of islands in the South China Sea.

The probe propelled by the rocket is expected to enter Mars’ gravitational field in February 2021. The 5-ton probe successfully reached its predetermined orbit and started its Mars exploration mission after the carrier rocket flew for more than 36 minutes, according to State Media.

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Portland Mayor Tear Gassed By Federal Agents During Wednesday Protest

Portland Mayor Tear Gassed By Federal Agents During Wednesday Protest

Tyler Durden

Thu, 07/23/2020 – 06:53

Like the liberal white male mayor of Minneapolis learned when he had the temerity to stand up and tell a crowd of angry protesters that he wouldn’t support disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has struggled to connect with the throngs of angry, young and (mostly) white crowds of impressionable college students and disgruntled post-grads who have flooded the area outside a federal courthouse in downtown Portland for nearly 2 months straight, SARS-CoV-2 be damned.

Many of these demonstrators probably aren’t even from Portland. And it’s clear that their animosity toward Wheeler stems not from any personal failing on his part, but rather due to his role in “the system”, and the fact that he’s a white man. But that hasn’t dissuaded Wheeler from trying to pander to them, anyway, guided perhaps by misguided political strategists who feel that the hard-core protesters truly have the public’s sympathy. Over the past 10 days, as federal agents have moved to defend the federal courthouse mentioned above from vandals and enforce laws after Wheeler pulled out the local cops, Wheeler has sided with the rabble over the government he was elected to represent, denouncing the federal “stormtroopers” who have been “abducting” residents of his city, according to the AP.

This has done nothing to quell the unrest (many of the people out there on the barricade night after night after night are clearly being supported by somebody – even if that somebody is the absentee father who nevertheless left them a generous trust). So on Wednesday night, Wheeler took his ‘revolutionary’ kayfabe to the next level and wandered down to the courthouse, where he stood up and took his tear-gassing, an act that was filmed by eager journalists.

The footage of Wheeler’s tear-gassing, and his reaction, have gone viral overnight.

Amusingly, one protester brought a sign urging the mayor to take his dose of tear gas. The simple placard bore a terse message: “Tear Gas Ted!”.

When Wheeler tried to address the crowd, he was enthusiastically booed, the AP reported.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, said it was the first time he’d been tear gassed and appeared slightly dazed and coughed as he put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water. He didn’t leave his spot at the front, however, and continued to take gas. Around Wheeler, the protest raged, with demonstrators lighting a large fire in the space between the fence and the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse and the pop-pop-pop of federal agents deploying tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the federal agents knew Wheeler was in the crowd when they used the tear gas.

Earlier in the night, Wheeler was mostly jeered as he tried to rally demonstrators who have clashed nightly with federal agents but was briefly applauded when he shouted “Black Lives Matter” and pumped his fist in the air. The mayor has opposed federal agents’ presence in Oregon’s largest city, but he has faced harsh criticism from many sides and his presence wasn’t welcomed by many, who yelled and swore at him.

“I want to thank the thousands of you who have come out to oppose the Trump administration’s occupation of this city,” Wheeler told hundreds of people gathered downtown near the federal courthouse. “The reason this is important is it is not just happening in Portland … we’re on the front line here in Portland.”

After listening to Wheeler throw them under the bus for political gain, we imagine the federal agents doing the gassing were only too happy to comply.

Once the gas hit, the crowd of protesters, eager to put the mayor in his place, started jeering once more. “Eat that sh*t! Eat that sh*t!” one deranged protester shouted at the mayor, who was starting to look ill, something that was noticeable even with the facemask.

Watching Wheeler gasp for breath, we couldn’t help but think that the mayor could probably learn a valuable political lesson from a classic “Chappelle’s Show” sketch: “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong”.

“It’s good to be real sometimes, it’s good to be phony sometimes,” Chappelle said.

Besides, Ted. It’s not like any of these professional protesters you’re pandering to are going to vote.

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Baltic Index Sinks To 1-Month Low As Global Rebound Hopes Fade

Baltic Index Sinks To 1-Month Low As Global Rebound Hopes Fade

Tyler Durden

Thu, 07/23/2020 – 05:30

The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is losing steam following an impressive upswing from May’s lows. The BDI began tumbling in August 2019, with an extension to the downside following the virus pandemic.

The BDI is an index of the Capesize, Panamax and Supramax Timecharter Averages, used by investors as a proxy for shipping conditions, and or world trade.

According to Reuters, BDI touched one month lows on Tuesday, weighed down by declining rates for Capesize and Panamax vessels:

  • The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities and reflects rates for Capesize, Panamax, and supramax vessels, fell 84 points, or about 5%, to 1,594, its lowest in nearly a month. 

  • The Baltic Capesize index dropped 221 points, or 7.5%, to 2,729, registering its lowest level since June 17. 

  • Average daily earnings for Capesizes, which typically transport cargoes of 170,000 tonnes to 180,000 tonnes, including iron ore and coal, was down by $1,834 at $22,635.

  • However, rising demand for iron ore from China has helped the Capesize segment to gain nearly 40% this year. 

  • The Panamax index was down 50 points, or 3.4%, at 1,415, its lowest in more than two weeks. 

  • Average daily earnings for Panamaxes, which usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 tonnes to 70,000 tonnes, fell by $452 to $12,736.

  • However, the supramax index rose 9 points, or 1%, to 929.

The index peaked on July 6, now sinking to a one month low, indicating shipping demand in the future is subsiding. BDI and its subcomponents are shown below: 

h/t Joakim Hannisdahl of Cleaves Securities

In terms of seasonality, shipping rates tend to peak in summer months and waterfall through the second half. 

If seasonality is not a major factory in peaking BDI, then it could be seen as a warning sign for the global recovery, produced by central bank money printing and fiscal stimulus by governments, is beginning to stall. 

On Tuesday morning, we noted how the resurgence of the virus pandemic is at risk of derailing the global economic recovery.

Christopher Dembik, head of macroeconomic research at Saxo Bank, recently said the sharp rebound in BDI “cannot suggest a V-shaped recovery.” He said bankruptcies, coronavirus, and Sino-US tensions are weighing on the upswing in economic growth. 

With BDI peaking, and no significant rebound in Harpex (HARPER PETERSEN Charter Rates Index for containerships), it appears the robust global rebound pitched by government officials and central bankers is nothing more than fiction. 

The next big concern, especially in the US, the world’s largest economy, is a double-dip recession as more than 80% of the population is in areas where state governments have paused or reversed reopenings

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“Busy In The Tropics” – Gonzalo To Become A Hurricane; Tropical Depression 8 Could Soak Texas

“Busy In The Tropics” – Gonzalo To Become A Hurricane; Tropical Depression 8 Could Soak Texas

Tyler Durden

Thu, 07/23/2020 – 05:16

Update (July 23)(5:15ET)): The National Hurricane Center (NHC) tweeted early Thursday morning that Tropical Storm Gonzalo is expected to “strengthen again” and “become a hurricane later today.” 

NHC said Barbados had issued a hurricane watch. Gonzalo could strike the tiny island on Saturday.   

“Busy in the Tropics,” tweeted meteorologist Brian Shields, who posted a weather map showing not just Gonzalo is barreling towards the Caribbean but Tropical Depression 8 is approaching Texas. 

Here’s a more detailed map of Tropical Depression 8’s potential path towards Texas this weekend. 

*   *   *

Update (8:55ET): Tropical Depression Seven has formed into Tropical Storm Gonzalo on Wednesday morning. The system is expected to move toward the Caribbean by the end of the week. 

*   *   *

Tropical Depression Seven is traversing the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and the Lesser Antilles and has a 90% chance it could strengthen into Tropical Storm Gonzalo in the next 48 hours, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach.  

Klotzbach tweeted, “Tropical Depression 7 has formed in the central tropical Atlantic and is forecast to become a named storm” on Wednesday. 

He said the sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic correlate with “active Atlantic hurricane seasons.” 

The system is the first tropical cyclone of this season to form between the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and the Lesser Antilles. The Weather Channel said there are conflicting models, one where the system can weaken and another where it can “intensify quickly.” 

Dry air is currently to the west and north of the system, which is one factor that can weaken and disrupt tropical cyclones.

While shearing winds are currently not near this system, it may encounter increased wind shear as it nears the Windward Islands this weekend.

These factors would argue for a weakening of the system by the time it nears the Windward Islands Saturday.

Small systems like this can intensify quickly in the right conditions, but they can also succumb to unfavorable conditions more quickly than a larger storm. In other words, they can strengthen and weaken much more and at a faster rate than expected.

So, the range of outcomes for the intensity forecast is large, anywhere from this storm remaining weak or dissipating east of the Windward Islands, to a possible strong tropical storm or hurricane.

Fortunately, the track forecast is a bit more straightforward. We expect a general west-northwest track into the Windward Islands by Saturday.

Interests in the Lesser Antilles, including areas as far south as Trinidad and Tobago, even the northern coast of Venezuela, should monitor the progress of this system closely. – The Weather Channel 

The Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to fly into the storm on Wednesday morning. As the system moves west-northwest into the Gulf of Mexico, it will certainly be one to follow as it could be the next name on the 2020 hurricane list as Gonzalo. 

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Turkey Will Send More Troops To Libya If Egyptian Forces Breach Border

Turkey Will Send More Troops To Libya If Egyptian Forces Breach Border

Tyler Durden

Thu, 07/23/2020 – 05:00

Via AlMasdarNews.com,

The Turkey-based Zaman newspaper quoted informed sources in the Turkish government as saying that a military and diplomatic plan has been prepared to deal with the Egyptian parliament’s decision to send troops to Libya.

According to their sources, the Turkish newspaper said that Ankara “is closely watching the consequences of the Egyptian parliament’s decision.”

Their sources stressed that if “Egypt sends military forces to Libya, Turkey has a plan to increase its forces and military equipment in Libya to stand up to the Egyptian forces.”

Egyptian Army file image, via Pinterest

It also quoted Turkish sources as saying that Ankara “is ready to respond to any attack on its forces present in Libya, whatever the party that carried out the attack.”

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin had recently confirmed that his country “does not want to escalate tensions and confront Egypt in Libya,” but at the same time he stressed support for the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

He said in this regard: “When looking at this general scene, it becomes clear that we have no intention of confronting Egypt, France, or any other country there (in Libya).”

Currently, Turkey is the only foreign country that has national troops present inside of Libya.

Early this week Egypt’s parliament approved sending its national forces to assist Gen. Khalifa Haftar in Libya, however, it doesn’t appear Sisi has moved on the authorization yet. Turkey has long backed Tripoli with ground and air forces, including drones.

If Cairo does send troops, which would be the first such foreign deployment since 1992 during the Gulf War, Turkey has promised to surge its own national forces there, in what could hold the potential for direct confrontation in Libya.

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Democratic Senators Demand 11th Circuit Judges “Explain” their involvement in Felon Disenfranchisement Case.

I have written two posts about the felon disenfranchisement case pending before the Eleventh Circuit. I think Judge Brasher made the correct decision to recuse himself, because his former employer (the Alabama Attorney General) filed an amicus brief. I do not think Judges Luck and Lagoa are disqualified, based on their service on a related case before the Florida Supreme Court.

Currently, there is a pending motion to recuse for Judges Luck and Lagoa. Maybe they’ll recuse. Maybe they won’t. Who knows? I trust that all federal judges have the impartiality and independence to assess a motion on its merits. And the judiciary can handle this matter internally.

Alas, members of the legislative branch decided to intervene. Yesterday, ten Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee sent letters to Judges Luck, Lagoa, and Brasher. I think the letter to Brasher is moot, so I’ll focus on the Luck and Lagoa letters. Both conclude with the same paragraph:

As the first branch, it falls to Congress to oversee the federal Judiciary. That oversight includes a responsibility to ensure that sitting federal judges honor their commitments to the Senate and the public and follow all applicable rules and codes of judicial conduct. Consistent with this congressional oversight purpose, we ask you to explain how your involvement in the decision to grant en banc review in Jones v. DeSantis — and your continued participation in this case — is consistent with the commitments you made to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Code of Conduct.

Let me offer a charitable reading of the letter. Perhaps the Senate could ask the judges to provide information that would allow them to craft legislation to promote judicial ethics? (The Supreme Court recently shot down a similar argument in Mazars). Or perhaps this information is needed to help enforce the Voting Rights Act?

I’ll be blunt. These letters are blatant efforts to intimidate life-tenured federal judges. Judges Luck and Lagoa are under no obligation to explain themselves. If the Senators think the judges committed a high crime or misdemeanor, they can be impeached. Impeachment is the only way that Congress can exercise oversight over a single federal judge. Short of that, the Senate should focus on their own business.

Florida addressed these letters in its brief in opposition to the recusal.

Over the last 36 hours, two members of this Court have become the targets of extraordinary attacks by the Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee intended to intimidate them into recusing themselves from this case. See Notice to Counsel re: Ex Parte Communications (11th Cir. July 22, 2020). Verbal assaults on the judiciary have become regrettably common in American politics, and they pose a growing threat to the rule of law. The Framers anticipated this type of attack on the courts: because of “the natural feebleness of the judiciary,” it would be “in continual jeopardy of being overpowered, awed, or influenced by its co-ordinate branches.” The Federalist No. 78 (Alexander Hamilton). That, Alexander Hamilton explained, is why Article III gives federal judges lifetime tenure. Id.

Ironically, while Movants and their Senate allies invoke statutes and ethical canons designed to promote public confidence in the judiciary, it is they who threaten the judiciary’s independence by calling into question the integrity of two of this Court’s Members without even a colorable basis for doing so. As the Chief Justice recently said in response to threatening statements made by a United States Senator about Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, such statements “are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.” Office of Public Info., Statement of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Supreme Court of the U.S. (March 4, 2020).

I fear that this broach of ethics by the Senators will become the new normal. We may actually see Democrats try to impeach Trump nominees in the new Congress. Though circuit court packing is a much easier way to accomplish that goal.

 

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Brickbat: Boobs

dreamstime_xxl_99992579

A teenage boy being held at Los Angeles County’s Eastlake Juvenile Hall developed enlarged breasts after being given estrogen, a female hormone, to treat oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), according to a lawsuit. The county has refused to comment on the lawsuit, but the Los Angeles Times reports that medical records confirm the boy was given 2 milligrams daily of the hormone while in the detention center. “Estrogen is not a treatment for ODD. I can’t be more emphatic about that,” James McGough, a professor of clinical psychiatry at UCLA, told the newspaper. “You won’t find a reference anywhere that supports the use of estrogen for ODD.” The boy’s father says he was given the treatment without the family’s permission. He says the boy will need surgery to reduce his breasts.

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Democratic Senators Demand 11th Circuit Judges “Explain” their involvement in Felon Disenfranchisement Case.

I have written two posts about the felon disenfranchisement case pending before the Eleventh Circuit. I think Judge Brasher made the correct decision to recuse himself, because his former employer (the Alabama Attorney General) filed an amicus brief. I do not think Judges Luck and Lagoa are disqualified, based on their service on a related case before the Florida Supreme Court.

Currently, there is a pending motion to recuse for Judges Luck and Lagoa. Maybe they’ll recuse. Maybe they won’t. Who knows? I trust that all federal judges have the impartiality and independence to assess a motion on its merits. And the judiciary can handle this matter internally.

Alas, members of the legislative branch decided to intervene. Yesterday, ten Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee sent letters to Judges Luck, Lagoa, and Brasher. I think the letter to Brasher is moot, so I’ll focus on the Luck and Lagoa letters. Both conclude with the same paragraph:

As the first branch, it falls to Congress to oversee the federal Judiciary. That oversight includes a responsibility to ensure that sitting federal judges honor their commitments to the Senate and the public and follow all applicable rules and codes of judicial conduct. Consistent with this congressional oversight purpose, we ask you to explain how your involvement in the decision to grant en banc review in Jones v. DeSantis — and your continued participation in this case — is consistent with the commitments you made to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Code of Conduct.

Let me offer a charitable reading of the letter. Perhaps the Senate could ask the judges to provide information that would allow them to craft legislation to promote judicial ethics? (The Supreme Court recently shot down a similar argument in Mazars). Or perhaps this information is needed to help enforce the Voting Rights Act?

I’ll be blunt. These letters are blatant efforts to intimidate life-tenured federal judges. Judges Luck and Lagoa are under no obligation to explain themselves. If the Senators think the judges committed a high crime or misdemeanor, they can be impeached. Impeachment is the only way that Congress can exercise oversight over a single federal judge. Short of that, the Senate should focus on their own business.

Florida addressed these letters in its brief in opposition to the recusal.

Over the last 36 hours, two members of this Court have become the targets of extraordinary attacks by the Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee intended to intimidate them into recusing themselves from this case. See Notice to Counsel re: Ex Parte Communications (11th Cir. July 22, 2020). Verbal assaults on the judiciary have become regrettably common in American politics, and they pose a growing threat to the rule of law. The Framers anticipated this type of attack on the courts: because of “the natural feebleness of the judiciary,” it would be “in continual jeopardy of being overpowered, awed, or influenced by its co-ordinate branches.” The Federalist No. 78 (Alexander Hamilton). That, Alexander Hamilton explained, is why Article III gives federal judges lifetime tenure. Id.

Ironically, while Movants and their Senate allies invoke statutes and ethical canons designed to promote public confidence in the judiciary, it is they who threaten the judiciary’s independence by calling into question the integrity of two of this Court’s Members without even a colorable basis for doing so. As the Chief Justice recently said in response to threatening statements made by a United States Senator about Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, such statements “are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.” Office of Public Info., Statement of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Supreme Court of the U.S. (March 4, 2020).

I fear that this broach of ethics by the Senators will become the new normal. We may actually see Democrats try to impeach Trump nominees in the new Congress. Though circuit court packing is a much easier way to accomplish that goal.

 

from Latest – Reason.com https://ift.tt/3hl76v8
via IFTTT

Brickbat: Boobs

dreamstime_xxl_99992579

A teenage boy being held at Los Angeles County’s Eastlake Juvenile Hall developed enlarged breasts after being given estrogen, a female hormone, to treat oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), according to a lawsuit. The county has refused to comment on the lawsuit, but the Los Angeles Times reports that medical records confirm the boy was given 2 milligrams daily of the hormone while in the detention center. “Estrogen is not a treatment for ODD. I can’t be more emphatic about that,” James McGough, a professor of clinical psychiatry at UCLA, told the newspaper. “You won’t find a reference anywhere that supports the use of estrogen for ODD.” The boy’s father says he was given the treatment without the family’s permission. He says the boy will need surgery to reduce his breasts.

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Spain’s Ailing Tourism Sector

Spain’s Ailing Tourism Sector

Tyler Durden

Thu, 07/23/2020 – 04:15

Considering its pleasant climate, sandy beaches and culturally rich cities, it’s no surprise that Spain is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. As such, the country has come to rely heavily on tourism economically, making it particularly vulnerable to the current crisis.

According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, 14.3 percent of Spain’s GDP was directly or indirectly linked to travel and tourism – the second highest percentage among the world’s top 15 economies. And thus, as Statista’s Felix Richter details, this makes the current situation all the worse, as international tourism came to a standstill in recent months due to travel restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Despite reopening to (some) international tourists on June 21, many of Spain’s larger resorts remain closed, as tourists have cancelled their holidays, feeling uneasy to board a plane or sit in a café with other travelers. With July typically the biggest month in terms of tourist spending, the losses are quickly mounting for the Spanish hospitality sector. In the first five months of 2020, international tourist expenditure amounted to $13.4 billion, down more than $20 billion from the same period in 2019.

Infographic: Spain's Ailing Tourism Sector | Statista

You will find more infographics at Statista

With Spain’s high season typically lasting through the middle of October, the country’s hoteliers and restaurant owners will be hoping for a busy fall to salvage some of their income, but as long as the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t fully contained, it seems unlikely that travelers will hit the Spanish shores in droves this year.

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