In Egypt's Red Sea, a crew on a sightseeing submarine tour managed to escape when the vessel began sinking even though some of the tourists on board were not so lucky.As theBBC reports, authorities are questioning the crew of the Sindbad submarine after it foundered during a coral reef tour near the beach town of Hurghada in southeastern Egypt.Of the 45 passengers on board the vessel, six tourists including two children died during the sinking, and nine more were injured. When authorities came to rescue the sinking sub, 39 people and five crew members were saved, the report notes. Two of the tourists who died were a married couple of doctors, and their daughters, devastatingly, are in the hospital in critical condition.According to statements from Red Sea governor Amr Hanafy, the Sindbad's crew were all Egyptian and its passengers hailed from India, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. Somehow, only Russians died during the incident, and it remains unclear what happened.Unlike the Oceangate debacle from nearly two years ago, the Sindbad Submarines company seemingly had a strong reputation, and had been in operation in the Red Sea resort town for years. According to Hanafy, the sub was licensed and its head crew member had gotten all the right certificates to operate it which makes the tragic incident all the stranger.Tragically, this is not the first maritime tragedy to strike the Red Sea in recent months.In late November, the BBC notes, the "Sea Story" tourist yacht capsized with more than 40 people on board while sailing near the resort town of Marsa Alam located about 200 miles up the coast from Hurghada. As Dive Magazine noted, it took 36 hours to rescue the yacht's surviving passengers, and four bodies were pulled from the wrecked yacht. Seven are still missing, and presumed dead.Between the orca attacks and the headlines about ships and subs sinking, it's a wonder that anyone who doesn't have to is taking to the sea but then again, flying's not much better lately, either.More on seafaring: Dolphins Appear as Astronauts Splash Down in OceanShare This Article

Remember the potential "city killer" asteroid we were all freaking out about, 2024 YR4? Initially predicted with a small but unsettling chance of hitting our planet seven years from now, astronomers eventually ruled out that apocalyptic outcome once they were able to get better observations.But the saga's not over. 2024 YR4 will be back for another pass, Athabasca University astronomer Martin Connors writes in an and there'll be others like it.As Connors explains, YR4 exhibits what's known as "orbital resonance" with Jupiter, meaning that it moves at a multiple of the speed of the gas giant. While Jupiter takes roughly 12 years to orbit the Sun, asteroids like YR4 only take four, putting it in a 3:1 resonance.The upshot, in an "Armageddon" context, is that resonant asteroids close enough to cross Earth's orbit will have multiple attempts to hit the bullseye."Among asteroids, we must pay special attention to resonant ones, such as 2024 YR4, because eventually, they'll be back," Connors wrote.The 3:1 resonance with Jupiter is special, because for a century it appeared that there were no asteroids in the asteroid belt that exhibited this pattern, as well as at other seemingly arbitrary resonances like 5:2 and 7:3.Astronomers began to pull back the curtain on this phenomenon, dubbed Kirkwood gaps, in the 1970s. Any asteroids that ventured into these specific resonances, they determined, would either crash into an inner planet like Earth or be booted out by flying too close to them, giving the appearance of a "gap."As it turned out, the Kirkwood gaps weren't completely empty. A whole classification of asteroids called "Alindas" was recognized for objects in a 3:1 resonance with Jupiter, Connors wrote. They're named after the absolutely enormous asteroid 887 Alinda, first discovered in 1918. At roughly 2.5 miles across, 887 Alinda would cause an extinction-level catastrophe if it struck Earth. In January, it menaced us with its closest approach in one hundred years.Not all Alindas are aligned to cross paths with our planet, however. "A limiting factor is how tilted their orbits are: if they are quite tilted, they are not often at a 'height' matching Earth's, so are less likely to hit," Connors explained. "The bad news about that is that both Alinda and 2024 YR4 are very nearly in the plane of Earth's orbit, and are not tilted much, so are more likely to hit."Fortunately, it'll be a long, long while before Alinda will have a chance of nearing Earth not for another 1,000 years, according to Connors.As for 2024 YR4, it'll whiff its chance to take a city off the map in 2032. And after it does, it'll be nudged out of its Alinda orbit that is, its 3:1 resonance with Jupiter and 1:4 resonance with Earth by passing too closely. That means it won't be haunting us every four years anymore. But humiliation is often the stuff that forges a villain, and it'll still come back. Just not as often.More on asteroids: First-Ever Asteroid Mining Mission Loses Contact With EarthShare This Article

Were Loop Support! A forward-thinking staffing agency partnering with innovative companies that prioritize exceptional customer care and operational excellence. Our clients are redefining industries by combining compassion, strategy, and innovation.Were currently hiring for a Pre-Planning Sales Representative on behalf of our clienta contemporary funeral home serving families in Southern California. If you're someone who thrives in relationship-based sales and is passionate about helping others prepare for the future, we want to hear from you!This role is open to candidates worldwide, with the exception of the United States.What Youll Do:As a Pre-Planning Sales Representative, youll play a vital role in helping families plan for their future funeral and cremation needs with empathy and professionalism. Your core responsibilities will include:Proactively reaching out to prospective customers through outbound sales strategies.Educating families on the importance of pre-planning and guiding them through each step of the decision-making process.Building trust, rapport, and long-term relationships while confidently handling objections.Managing a structured sales pipeline and ensuring consistent follow-ups.Using a mix of calls, texts, and emails to engage leads and move them toward a decision.What Were Looking For:Were looking for motivated, compassionate, and persuasive sales professionals who thrive in an independent remote work environment. The ideal candidate will have:Sales experience.(Required) Relationship-based sales experience (real estate, insurance, wealth management, memberships) is a strong plus.A persuasive and confident communication style, with the ability to close deals. (Required)Fluency in English (spoken and written). (Required)Availability to work PST hours. (Required)A stable internet connection and a reliable computer setup. (Required)Strong organizational skills and self-motivation to manage a sales pipeline independently.A positive and professional attitude with a customer-first mindset.A quiet, distraction-free home office.Why Apply?Fully remote: Work from anywhere (outside the US).Competitive Compensation: Earn up to $20/hr: Includes base pay plus performance-based bonuses. Final rate depends on experience.Growth opportunity: Be part of a fast-growing, mission-driven team.Supportive leadership: Work alongside experienced professionals who are passionate about innovation and development.Next Steps How to ApplyIf youre ready to make a meaningful impact and grow your sales career, wed love to meet you!Click "Apply Now" to fill out our application form.You will then be asked to take a sales assessment!If qualified, youll be invited to move forward in the interview process.Help families plan with peace of mindapply today!

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March 28, 20254 min readCOVID Research Funding to Be Slashed, NIH Documents ShowStudies on COVID, climate change and South Africa are on the latest list of terminated grants by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, according to updated documents obtained by NatureBy Max Kozlov & Nature magazine Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (greenish brown) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (pink), isolated from a patient sample. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/FlickrThe US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have begun cancelling billions of dollars in funding for research related to COVID-19.COVID-19 research funds were issued for a limited purpose: to ameliorate the effects of the pandemic, according to an internal NIH document that Nature has obtained and that provides the agencys staff members with updated guidance on how to terminate these grants. Now that the pandemic is over, the grant funds are no longer necessary, the document states. It is not clear how many of these grants will be ended.The crackdown comes as the NIH, under US President Donald Trump, has halted nearly 400 grants in the past month. An earlier version of the documents, obtained by Nature on 5 March, directed staff to identify and potentially cancel projects on transgender populations; gender identity; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the scientific workforce; and environmental justice.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The NIH, which is the worlds largest public funder of biomedical research, has awarded grants to nearly 600 ongoing projects that include COVID in the title, worth nearly US$850 million. Together, these projects make up nearly 2% of the NIHs $47-billion budget. And the CDC plans to cancel $11.4 billion in funds for pandemic response, NBC News reports.SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has killed more than 7 million people globally, including more than 1.2 million in the United States, and continues to infect and kill people. Studying the virus, its mode of infection and the governments response to the pandemic is crucial to preventing the next one, say scientists.Among the terminations at the NIH is a $577-million programme to identify and develop antiviral drugs against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and six other types of virus with pandemic potential.These terminations are clearly shortsightedwe desperately need new treatments against viruses, says Jason McLellan, a structural virologist at the University of Texas, Austin, whose project to develop broad-spectrum treatments that work against several types of virus was part of the programme and terminated on 24 March. To cancel the entire grant because a small portion involved SARS-CoV-2 is going to be dangerous for future pandemic preparedness.The NIH did not respond to Natures queries about the grant terminations or scientists concerns about them. Its parent organization, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told Nature that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.Updated guidanceThe updated documents that Nature obtained (see Supplementary Information below) were sent on 25 March to grants-management specialistsNIH staff members who oversee the business side of awarding funding. This document includes COVID-19 on a list of research activities that NIH no longer supports, in addition to research on China, DEI, transgender issues and vaccine hesitancy. The latest guidance also says that grants related to South Africa and climate change should be terminated.The document also outlines a new category of research that should be terminated: any project on a list sent by the NIH director or the HHS, which is currently helmed by long-time anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Such large-scale grant terminations are unprecedented; the agency typically cancels only a few dozen projects each year in response to serious concerns about research misconduct or fraudand does so only as a last resort, after taking other actions such as suspension.Grants-management specialists will be tasked with identifying and terminating projects, because the NIHs current leadership considers its scientific staff members too biased to make these determinations, says an NIH official who requested anonymity because they werent authorized to speak to the press.But some scientists fear that the guidance for NIH employees is too vague and that any research project associated with certain keywords could be on the chopping block without consideration of its merit. Theyve been taking a chainsaw to grants and not a surgical laser, says Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, who studies SARS-CoV-2.Long COVIDUnder the new directive, its unclear whether the NIH plans to shut down long-COVID research, including its $1.6-billion RECOVER initiative, which aims to find the root causes and treatments for the disease. The Trump administration seems to be deprioritizing long COVID: this week, the HHS will close its Office of Long COVID Research and Practice, which coordinates the US governments response to the disease, according to e-mail correspondence that Nature has obtained.This is a real slap in the face of the many patients struggling with the long-term health effects of COVID infections, says Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist and director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.Kennedy has vowed to make America healthy again, in part by overhauling US health agencies to focus on chronic diseases. This wholesale crackdown on COVID research is not in the spirit of the campaign, Nuzzo says. We should be studying how infections cause some of the worst diseases that society endures, she says, adding that research has linked infection with a common herpesvirus called EpsteinBarr to the development of multiple sclerosis.Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, who studies immune responses in people with long COVID and other post-viral conditions, says: If we dont figure this out now with this pandemic, Im afraid we will be much less prepared for future pandemics.This article is reproduced with permission and was first published on March 26, 2025.

In ADs exploration of beautiful homes across the world, one common thread is a statement Moroccan rug anchoring the living spaces. Beni Rugs has specialized in this very same style since launching their brand of fair trade rugs in 2018each one a celebration of artisanal traditions in Morocco, where pieces are handwoven by local craftspeople.The blue and green TIM-0312 creates a neutral foundation for cognac leather office furniture.The COV-0702 drapes over a desk, onto the PRO-0220.The founders, Robert Wright and Tiberio Lobo-Navia, are especially interested in Moroccan rugs as canvases for storytelling and cultural representation. So when considering how they might approach a new collection, they searched for designers with the same ethos and eventually tapped Paris- and Marrakech-based Studio KO for the job, the architecture firm AD previously named the architecture firm everyone will be talking about for their design of the Muse Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech.PRO-0220 hangs as an office backdrop.As a firm, theyve become known for what weve called their sumptuous and minimalist style, which organically feature lots of Berber rugs in their interiors so they certainly understood the assignment here. With Beni, says Studio KOs Karl Fournier, we share a common love for Moroccos exceptional and vibrant craftsmanship. The fact that both of us are foreigners in an unfamiliar land has brought us closer together.LIN-0244 hangs above paper debris.ROMAIN LAPRADECEN-0124 is draped over a lacquered desk.ROMAIN LAPRADEThe collaboration, named Intersection, considers these Beni Ourain rugs as cultural recordings, or artifacts of a specific time and place, in the same way that spreadsheets or a weathered journal entry might convey meaning and cultural context within each individual page.The campaign for the collection depicts the rugs in a dilapidated officecpapers askew, cabinets ajaras if to show their permanence despite the passing of time. Fournier told AD the collection demonstrates the intersection, hence the name, of certain Western archetypes with traditional Moroccan craftsmanship. We wanted to illustrate the encounter between our two cultures and how they can communicate, how something utilitarian here can become an abstract pattern over there.

According to the National Coffee Association, the average person drinks three cups of joe daily, which makes for all the more reason to learn how to clean a coffee maker. We get it: Its easy to neglect this kitchen appliance. If youre already stuck washing dishes, then sometimes taking on this task feels like one responsibility too many.But before you put your routine coffee maker cleaning on the back burner, know that your unwashed brewing machine can get pretty dirty. An often-cited study by NSF International found that half of these caffeine incubators contain yeast and mold because of its warm and moist environment, which can heighten the bitter taste of your brew at best and spur allergic reactions at worst. Alongside sponges, the study found that coffee makers are among the top 10 germiest places in a home.Dont toss your coffee maker in the garbage just yet, though, as the cleaning process is easier than you might think. Christopher Peacock, founder and CEO of his eponymous design firm in New York, starts his day with an Americanoblack, no sugarand then an espresso in the afternoon, and knows a thing or two about cleaning a coffee maker regularly. For a regular drip coffee maker, I clean it with hot water and dish soap after each brew, he says. Read on for more simple tips on how to clean your coffee makers removable parts, filter, and exterior, so that each cup of coffee is truly a boost of energy, not a dose of germs.Why do you need to descale a coffee maker?A warm and moist environment is the breeding ground for bacteria and mold, and a monthly rinse with white vinegar or lemon juice can keep your coffee maker from becoming one of the germiest places in your kitchen. But thats not the only reason to use white vinegar. Mineral buildup of hard water and calcium can clog the coffee machine over time, affecting how quickly it drips coffee into the coffee pot. To ensure your machine is here for the long haul and not competing with a Keurig and K-cups, put this deep clean on your calendar.How often should I clean my coffee maker to keep it in good condition?Every coffee maker comes with its own instructions from the manufacturer, so if you still have the manual booklet, start there. For those sans paperwork, Peacock recommends a daily cleaning with fresh water from the faucets hand spray, a soft brush, soap, and a clean cloth. Once a month, use a cleaning solution of distilled white vinegar to deep clean and nix mineral deposits.What is the best way to clean the inside of a coffee maker?Every coffee maker comes with its own instructions from the manufacturer, so if you still have the manual booklet, start there. For those sans paperwork, Peacock recommends a daily cleaning with fresh water form the faucets hand spray, a soft brush, soap, and a clean cloth. Once a month, a cleaning solution of distilled white vinegar deep cleans to nixing mineral deposits.How do I take the coffee machine apart?After youve finished your coffee for the morningbecause you know the coffee maker doesnt get cleaned until after youre fully awakeremove parts of the machine from the base: the carafe (or coffee pot), lid, and filter. Wipe down the base and the warming plate, clearing any drips that may cause coffee stains. Next, pour out the bulk of your coffee grounds from the filter basket into the trash or compost, and then rinse out remaining grounds and oily residue in the sink. Wash out the coffee pot and lid with dish soap and water, and let both air-dry. Note: If washing your coffee maker daily seems like too much of an ask, stick these parts in the dishwasher for a whirl. Just make sure the coffee pot is dishwasher-safe.How many times should I run vinegar through my coffee maker?A warm and moist environment is the breeding ground for icky bacteria and mold, and a monthly rinse with white vinegar or lemon juice can keep your coffee maker from becoming one of the germiest places in your kitchen. But thats not the only reason to use white vinegar. Mineral buildup of hard water and calcium can clog the coffee machine over time, affecting how quickly it drips coffee into the coffee pot. To ensure your machine is here for the long haul and not competing with a Keurig and K-cups, put this deep clean on your calendar.How much vinegar do you use to clean a coffee maker?To begin, fill the water reservoir with equal parts plain water and distilled white vinegar to make a vinegar solution, and then place a paper filter into the basket. Place the pot on the burner, and set the machine to its brew cycle. Once the solution has gone through a brew cycle halfway, turn the machine off, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Turn the machine back on to finish the brewing, and then dispose of the vinegar-and-water solution. You only have to do this once! Finally, place a new paper filter in the basket, fill the water reservoir with water, and brew the pot. That way, you can be sure that no vinegar remains, and you can reassemble the coffee machine.What can I clean my coffee maker with besides vinegar?If youd rather not use white vinegar for mineral buildup, try lemon juice. Alternatively, a flush with warm water and a quarter cup of baking soda can make your java pot as good as new. For a coffee machine that is particularly dirty, Amazon has a bevy of descaling products that works equally well on a coffee maker and a Keurig.Dont overthink it, scrub the old grounds off and rinse, Peacock says. With that kind of confidence in mind, follow in Peacocks lead to have a clean coffee maker each day. In no time, this cleaning cycle will surely make your cup of coffee taste better.

Tesla Takedown organizers have promised their biggest day of global action this weekend, encouraging thousands to protest outside Tesla showrooms, dealerships, and even charging stations to peacefully object to Elon Musks role in slashing government spending.As Tesla protests have spread, so has the backlash. Activists holding up signs are being conflated with masked vandals throwing Molotov cocktails. On social media, and in Washington, the distinction is fading fast.President Donald Trump has called attacks on Tesla domestic terrorism and threatened to send terrorist thugs to prisons in El Salvador. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has pledged to prosecute those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes, even though evidence suggests the attacks were carried out by lone offenders. And Musks decision to accuse at least one peaceful protester of committing crimes on X has fueled a public discourse that equates protest with vandalism, and vandalism with terrorism.If the government or law enforcement starts treating all anti-Tesla actions as criminal, peaceful protesters could find themselves facing consequences meant for extremists.Terrorism is a problematic concept in law enforcement because it is by definition differentiated from other violence by its political nature, Mike German, a former FBI special agent and fellow at the Brennan Centers Liberty and National Security Program, told TechCrunch. Thats why weve seen counter terrorism measures so often result in problematic outcomes targeting the civil rights of people engaged in First Amendment-protected activity, rather than the people who are committing acts of violence.The Tesla Takedown protesters have consistently preached nonviolence at rallies and on their website. The movements stated goal is not to physically harm Tesla or Musk, but rather to encourage people to sell their Teslas, sell their stock, and stop buying new Teslas.The reason that [Musk] is in the position that he is in is because of his wealth, and we feel that if we can continue to drive that Tesla stock price down, we will hit him in the spot that it matters, Natasha Purdum, a New Jersey-based organizer, told TechCrunch. Ultimately, we see that as a key to taking down some of the major destruction that is happening in our federal government, courtesy of DOGE and Elon Musk.Musk is the worlds richest person in large part due to his Tesla stock. He owns roughly 13% of the company, which today is valued at around $829 billion, making Musks share worth around $107.8 billion. That wealth has allowed Musk to spend $44 billion to buy Twitter, the primary platform he uses to communicate to his 219 million followers. Musk has also dipped into his own funds to donate more than $260 million to the America PAC that helped Trump clinch the election.As someone who spent 16 years as an FBI special agent focused on domestic terrorism, German says he wouldnt be surprised to see local police working hand in glove with terrorism taskforces like the one the FBI just formed to monitor Tesla Takedown protests. Per the Attorney Generals Guidelines, the FBI doesnt require a factual basis for a suspicion of terrorism to begin conducting physical surveillance, which includes taking photos of people, cars, and license plates, deploying informants to infiltrate a group, accessing private databases, and more.Its also important to understand that law enforcement in the United States is primarily intended to protect the property of the wealthy, German said. Corporations in the United States are politically powerful and have access to elected officials and top law enforcement officials. And when their interests are challenged, particularly by protest, they want to present that as a law enforcement issue, rather than as legitimate public concerns about their corporate activities.The FBI declined to comment on TechCrunchs question about whether the agency is taking any special action this weekend.Were going to go after themMusk and the Trump administration have ramped up their rhetoric in the lead up to March 29, when at least 213 Tesla Takedown protests are scheduled around the world, from Colorado and Kentucky to Germany, Minnesota, France, and Texas.On Thursday, Musk appeared on Fox Newss Special Report to say that he and Trump are going to go afterthe ones providing the money, the ones pushing the lies and propaganda.Trump has suggested that the attacks on Tesla property were coordinated to intimidate Musk, despite internal assessments finding otherwise. Musk has also claimed, without showing proof, that certain Tesla Takedown organizers were funded by ActBlue, a nonprofit that funds progressive causes and Democratic candidates.And Bondi has accused Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) of calling for further insurrection after Crockett said that Musk needed to be taken down at a virtual Tesla Takedown rally last week. Crockett couched that statement with calls for nonviolence and peaceful demonstrations, but regardless, Bondi said she needs to tread very carefully.German says this rhetoric, too, is an old government trick to try to discredit and suppress protest movements by claiming a handful of acts of violence are the result of the spread of bad ideas, radical ideas.Purdum, one of the Tesla organizers, advised protesters to put their wellbeing first. Leave if you feel unsafe, adhere to your local protest regulations, dont trespass, follow police orders, and have a lawyers number in your back pocket just in case, she said.Authoritarian regimes have a long history of equating peaceful protest with violence, Stephanie Frizzell, a Tesla Takedown organizer from Dallas, said. The Tesla Takedown movement has always been and will remain nonviolent. Their goal is to intimidate us into silence as we stand against Musks destructive actions but defending free speech is fundamental to democracy. We will not be deterred.

Elon Musks AI startup, xAI, has acquired his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in an all-stock deal, he announced in a post on X Friday.xAI has acquired X in an all-stock transaction, Musk said. The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt).He went on to describe the two companies futures as intertwined, adding, Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent.The acquisition places X the highly influential social media platform Musk purchased in 2022 under its former name, Twitter firmly under the umbrella of Musks AI startup, which he founded in 2023 to compete with OpenAI. While xAIs products, including its AI chatbot Grok, were tightly integrated into the X platform before this deal, Fridays acquisition further combines two of Musks most influential companies.Musk notes in his post that this deal values X at $33 billion (lowered from an enterprise valuation of $45 billion due to the companys $12 billion in debt). Musk originally purchased X for $44 billion in October 2022, however, the valuation has swung dramatically in recent years. At one point, Fidelity valued X at less than $10 billion. In the months since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, for whom Musk campaigned for aggressively, Xs valuation has risen, largely because investors believe its more influential now. Musk said in his post on Friday that X has more than 600 million active users.Meanwhile, xAIs valuation has skyrocketed in recent years. In just the two years since it was founded, Musk has successfully beefed up xAI to be a frontier AI lab, frequently releasing AI models and products that compete with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. In February, xAI was reportedly in talks to secure another $10 billion in funding at a $75 billion valuation. However, Musk now says his AI startups valuation is now $80 billion.One of the major advantages that xAI has over other startups is its access to Xs data. The large body of posts that X has accumulated over the years gives xAI a significant advantage in the race for AI training data. Further, Musk previously gave the Grok chatbot access to real-time news updates from posts on the X platform. It seems likely that the two products, X and Grok, will only get more tightly integrated following this acquisition.This is a developing story Check back for updates.