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Space cadets gather in D.C. for one-way ticket to Mars

“Around 40 volunteers from thousands who applied for a one-way ticket to Mars gathered in the US capital Saturday to hear from the man behind plans to colonize the Red Planet. Bas Lansdorp, a Dutch entrepreneur, plans to establish a permanent base on Mars in a mission he hopes will take off in 2022 if he can find the necessary $6 billion. Would-be travellers on the mission — named Mars One — would never return to Earth. In April, Mars-One said that the first four volunteers should land on Mars in 2023 after a seven-month journey. New crews would be sent every two years, according to Lansdorp.” Continue reading →

Japan sends talking ‘companion’ robot to the International Space Station

“When the Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata arrives at the International Space Station in November, a companion will be waiting for him whose eyes will light up in recognition – literally. Kirobo, the world’s first talking humanoid space robot, has already taken off – in the nattiest red Wellingtons since Paddington Bear – and should arrive at the space station by 9 August to await Wakata’s arrival. It knows he is coming: it has been programmed to recognise his face, and greet him warmly in Japanese.” Continue reading →

U.S. military helicopter crashes in Japan’s Okinawa

“A U.S. military helicopter crashed on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa on Monday, U.S. Forces in Japan said, an incident which may stoke anger over the concentration of U.S. military bases on the island. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to move the U.S. Marines’ Futenma airbase to a less crowded part of the island, but stiff opposition from Okinawa residents is stalling the plan. Residents of Okinawa, host to the bulk of U.S. military forces in Japan, have long resented bearing what many feel is an unfair share of the burden for the U.S.-Japan military alliance. Many associate the U.S. bases with accidents, crime and pollution.” Continue reading →

Japan nuclear body says radioactive water at Fukushima an ‘emergency’

“Highly radioactive water seeping into the ocean from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is creating an ’emergency’ that the operator is struggling to contain, an official from the country’s nuclear watchdog said on Monday. This contaminated groundwater has breached an underground barrier, is rising toward the surface and is exceeding legal limits of radioactive discharge, he told Reuters. Countermeasures planned by Tokyo Electric Power Co are only a temporary solution, he said. Tepco’s ‘sense of crisis is weak,’ Kinjo said. ‘This is why you can’t just leave it up to Tepco alone’ to grapple with the ongoing disaster.” Continue reading →

Fracking settlement puts permanent gag order on 7-year-old and 10-year-old

“A 10-year-old boy and his 7-year-old sister have been forbidden from discussing fracking for the rest of their lives under the terms of a court settlement with several gas companies. According to Mother Jones, representatives of Range Resources Corporation — one of the gas companies named in the settlement — confirmed in court that both the parents and children of the Hallowich family are prohibited from discussing the health issues and environmental factors that drove the family to relocate from their farm in Mount Pleasant, PA.” Continue reading →

Aetna withdraws from Maryland Obamacare exchange after state demands lower rates

“Aetna Inc pulled out of Maryland’s health insurance exchange being created under President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law after the state pressed it to lower its proposed rates by up to 29 percent. Each U.S. state will have an online exchange where Americans will be able to buy insurance plans, starting on October 1. The government is counting on about 7 million people to enroll next year for this insurance, many of whom will qualify for subsidies. According to online documents, Aetna had requested an average monthly premium of $394 a month for one of its plans and the agency had approved an average rate of $281 per month.” Continue reading →

Archived papers reveal Queen Elizabeth’s ‘World War Three’ speech

“Relations between the Soviet Union and the West had become so tense 30 years ago that British officials drew up a speech for Queen Elizabeth to deliver to the nation in the event of a nuclear war, newly released archives showed on Thursday. In the speech, the monarch was to urge Britons to remain united and resolute in the face of the ‘madness of war.’ Written by government officials, the hypothetical speech was part of a secret exercise designed to prepare Britain for the threat of a possible World War Three, but was never broadcast.” Continue reading →

Florida education chief resigns after fixing charter school grades for GOP donor

“Florida Commissioner of Education Tony Bennett resigned on Thursday after he was accused of changing a grading system while serving as Indiana school superintendent so that a Republican donor’s charter school would not receive bad marks. An Associated Press report earlier this week found that Bennett had quickly overhauled a school grading system after discovering that high-profile charter school Christel House was expected to receive a ‘C’ grade. Under a revised formula, the school was awarded an ‘A’ grade. Bennett had left Indiana to take the top education job in Florida in January.” Continue reading →