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Cosmic burst in distant galaxy puzzles NASA
This NASA image from Swift’s Ultraviolet/Optical (white, purple) and X-ray telescopes (yellow and red) were combined in this view of a cosmic burst at the center of distant galaxy that has burned for more than a week, longer than astronomers have ever seen before, the US space agency said Thursday.
NASA is studying a surprising cosmic burst at the center of distant galaxy that has burned for more than a week, longer than astronomers have ever seen before, the US space agency said Thursday.
Calling it “one of the most puzzling cosmic blasts ever observed,” NASA said it has mobilized the Hubble Space Telescope along with its Swift satellite and Chandra X-ray Observatory to study the phenomenon.
“More than a week later, high-energy radiation continues to brighten and fade from its location,” NASA said in a statement.
“Astronomers say they have never seen such a bright, variable, high-energy, long-lasting burst before. Usually, gamma-ray bursts mark the destruction of a massive star, and flaring Read more…
Look Out Above for Gold and Silver Prices
By Greg Hunter’s
Gold hit another all-time high yesterday, closing well over $1,450 per ounce. Silver’s closing price of more than $39 per ounce is the highest it has been in 31 years. Why the big jump in gold and silver prices? The answer is pretty scary because there are many reasons precious metals are heading higher. Let’s start with the most obvious —inflation. Kitco.com reported yesterday, “The precious yellow metal got a fresh influx of investment buying based upon heightened inflationary expectations, safe-haven demand and a weakening U.S. dollar index.” (Click here for the complete Kitco.com story.) You can give the same reasons for rising silver prices.
In the case of silver, many experts say it is way undervalued and will outperform gold as Read more…
Ivory Coast: Laurent Gbagbo stays in bunker and vows not to surrender
Ivory Coast’s embattled leader Laurent Gbagbo is protected by a rump of just 200 soldiers in his bunker beneath the presidential palace, the French defence minister said, but he is refusing to surrender to advancing forces.
Gerard Longuet said Mr Gbagbo has an estimated 1,000 troops left in Abidjan, as forces loyal to president-in-waiting Alassane Ouattara had the palace surrounded.
“We’re going to wait and let him come out like a rat,” said an adviser to Mr Ouattara
However, Mr Gbagbo refuses to give up his increasingly fragile position and continues to Read more…
U.S. braces for floods as Red River rises
Movers this week pulled furniture from the lower level of the Sterns’ house and ripped out the carpet to reduce damage from seeping water as the Red River continued a rapid rise.
“Any spring there is anxiety,” Sherri Stern said on Thursday. “We didn’t expect to have water that we would have to start pumping this fast.”
The Red River swelled to within four feet of its forecasted crest at Fargo-Moorhead on Thursday as volunteers piled up sandbags. At the forecasted level, the Red River crest would be the third highest on record behind 2009 and 1997.
The flood has potential to force thousands of people from their homes in North Dakota and Minnesota based on past similar floods, but protection is better this year, said Cecily Fong, spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.
RED TO CREST SUNDAY AT FARGO
The Red, which forms the boundary between the two states, rose to 35.9 feet at Fargo- Read more…
South Korea shuts schools amid Japan radiation fears
Ahn Young-joon / AP
TOKYO — Dozens of schools in South Korea closed Thursday amid concerns about radioactive fallout from Japan’s nuclear disaster.
Classes were canceled or shortened at more than 150 schools as rain fell across the country.
Authorities said radiation levels in the rain posed no health threat.
However, school boards across the country — Japan’s closest neighbor — advised Read more…
Researchers find superbug gene in New Delhi water
By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer
LONDON – A gene that can turn many types of bacteria into deadly superbugs was found in about a quarter of water samples taken from drinking supplies and puddles on the streets of New Delhi, according to a new study.
Experts say it’s the latest proof that the new drug-resistance gene, known as NDM-1, named for New Delhi, is widely circulating in the environment — and could potentially spread to the rest of the world.
Bacteria armed with this gene can only be treated with a couple of highly toxic and expensive antibiotics. Since it was first identified in 2008, it has popped up in a number of countries, including the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada and Sweden.
Most of those infections were in people who had recently traveled to or had medical Read more…
MAJOR EARTHQUAKE HITS JAPAN, BLACKOUTS IN SENDAI AND FUKUSHIMA
Could there be a connection with the Solar Storm from yesterday? Definitely.
A major earthquake between 7.1 and 7.4 magnitude hit northeastern Japan at 11:32 Tokyo time. It was focused 60 kilometers below the seabed off Miyagi Prefecture, which also got slammed last time.
The quake has caused scattered gas leaks and fires. A few dozen injuries have been reported.
U.S. markets turned down on the news and Nikkei futures have plunged.
Tsunami warnings were issued, but then lifted an hour after the quake.
Power is out around Sendai and in parts of Fukushima and Yamagata. Even as two of the three local plants are blacked out, however, cooling activities will continue at Fukushima nuclear plant. No new damage is reported at the Fukushima nuclear plant or others. Workers at the Fukushima plant were briefly evacuated.
NHK reports Rokkasho plutonium reprocessing plant has lost off site power and is on emergency backup.
Bullet trains have started running again less than an hour after the quake. All highways are shut in Miyagi, local police tell Kyodo.
12:16 ET: Japanese officials say there is still a high risk of mud slides and collapsing buildings.
Here’s a video of the tremor in Sendai: What could that strange blue light be??? Read more…
CBO: Deficit on the rise
The federal government’s deficit continues to grow, according to the latest numbers from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The government is expected to run a deficit of $830 billion in the first six months of fiscal 2011, a $113 billion increase from the same period last year, the CBO reported Thursday.
The latest numbers could serve as fresh ammunition for Congressional Republicans caught in a fight over government spending with their Democratic counterparts. Lawmakers are currently haggling over both a short-term spending package to avert a government shutdown and a longer-term budget proposal for fiscal 2012. And indications the deficit is still on the rise could bolster arguments to make major spending cuts.
The CBO reported that both government spending and revenue collection were up in 2011 when compared to 2010, by 11 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
In March alone, the federal deficit stood at $189 billion, which is $124 billion more than the same month last year.
The organization’s data shows government spending rising in nearly every major category. Spending on defense, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were up in preliminary fiscal 2011 numbers when compared to 2010, as CBO estimated government outlays were up $179 billion in the first six months of fiscal 2011. Spending dropped 22 percent on unemployment benefits over that same period.
Government revenues were also slightly up over that time frame, growing 6.9 percent or $66 billion. However, receipts in March were down about $3 billion when compared to March 2010, driven by declines in individual income as well as payroll, estate and gift taxes.
The CBO noted that vital information about the government’s fiscal picture will be coming in the next several weeks, as individual income tax returns are filed for 2010 and estimated payments of income taxes will be made by corporations and individuals for the first quarter of 2011.
Earthquake shakes wide area of southern Mexico
Could there be a connection with the Solar Storm from yesterday? Definitely.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A magnitude-6.5 earthquake shook a wide area of southern and central Mexico on Thursday, sending people fleeing into the streets, but causing only minor reported damage.
The epicenter was located near Las Choapas, a town of about 83,000 residents about 370 miles (600 kilometers) southeast of Mexico City. It swayed buildings for several seconds in the capital, and in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, people ran from their homes and school children assembled on playgrounds.
Near the epicenter, cracks in walls forced the evacuation of one elementary school, said Bernabe Hernandez Perez, head of civil protection in Las Choapas.
Gov. Javier Duarte de Ochoa said earlier that he had no reports of damage in the oil-producing state.
“Veracruz is completely quiet without problems,” he told state television. “It was felt all over the state, but nothing major happened. It was only a scare.”
The temblor also was felt strongly in the state of Chiapas, bordering Guatemala, where there also were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, as well as the Pacific coast state of Guerrero.
The U.S. Geological survey said the quake hit at a depth of 104 miles (167 kilometers).
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