calm Archives - usatoday24

After a weekend of floods, deaths and evacuations, AEMET confirms that calm is coming for the New Year

December 29, 2025 by usatoday24

Málaga, Granada, Murcia and the south of the Valencian Community have passed a complicated weekend with floods, deaths and displaced people. In fact, in some areas of the southeast the worst has not happened yet. And people are tired: «”I feel like selling everything and leaving town: the rains are increasingly torrential”, said a neighbor from Cartama (Málaga). However, we will forget again. We will start the year cold, yes. But also with a strong anticyclone, with fog and frost. There will be no rain except somewhere in the south/east and the Balearic Islands; something that with the night movements of New Year’s Eve, is good news. However, the models start to draw that with the New Year there can also be a change in pattern. A change of pattern? Starting Thursday, as explained by Duncan Wingenthe models contemplate “the rise of the Atlantic ridge towards Iceland and Greenland”: it is what experts call the “Atlantic ridge.” It is a tongue of high pressure at altitude that bulges over the Atlantic and extends towards high latitudes. It is a wall that diverts the current from the west. What it represents for Spain. It’s hard to saythe truth. The effect on the peninsula depends on where the dorsal ends up placed. Or, close the Atlantic corridor and we have a few days of stable, dry and cold weather on the surface. Or, it favors the entry of cold from the north with thermal drops, a winter sensation and snow. Or, finally, the storm corridor opens with the consequent intrusion of Atlantic fronts from the Ocean. That is, rain and a slightly milder climate. What should we expect? It is a great unknown: enormous. And taking into account that it is the key phenomenon to understand what is going to happen in the coming weeks in southern Europe, it is important. Therefore, we have to continue monitoring them closely. Euro-Atlantic regimes modulate temperatures, energy demands and meteorological alerts. The Atlantic Crest is a piece of that puzzle and there are many things that depend on it. It is still surprising because, well, for now we are only going to see a deep, wintery cry. Image | PolarWx In Xataka | La Niña is going to be meteorologically “less intense” than we expected. And that actually hides a problem.

Someone has said that melatonin damages the heart. The reality, according to science, is that we can be calm

November 5, 2025 by usatoday24

Melatonin is a hormone that now is on many people’s lips being a key element in the regulation of our biological clock, and above all being well known for its relationships with sleep induction. It is precisely for this last reason that in recent years people have been supplementing with melatonin pills to be able to sleep better or regulate their sleep schedules more, but now the alarms have gone off about the possible side effects it may have. The alarm voice. There are many benefits that melatonin has with its continued use as a supplement beyond those related to sleep, such as anti aging thanks to its antioxidant capabilities. But beyond the benefits, a study has raised the alarm: it can cause heart failure. However, there is much to qualify in this statement. Obviously, something like this can generate great unrest in society, precisely because it is a widely used supplement in different countries because it can be purchased without any type of medical prescription (except for the highest doses). And this attraction has been used to create pills, gummies or even infusions that have melatonin inside. But the reality is that nothing we ingest can be harmless to our body, especially if very specific safety guidelines are not followed. Although in the case of melatonin everything indicated that it was completely safe and that everything behind it was something positive. Until now. What the study says. The focus of the controversy centers on a preliminary study (and this is important) that is going to be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025. This work analyzed the medical records of more than 130,000 adults with insomnia, comparing 65,414 people who had used melatonin for a year with another group who had not used it. The results of this study they pointed in this case because users who used melatonin chronically were twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart failure. But they went further by showing that there was a 3.5 times greater risk of hospitalization for heart failure. But saying ‘double’, the truth is that it does not provide much information (beyond fear), but what is important here would be to talk about the absolute increase in risk, as the Secretary of State for Health points out in his X account. Tranquillity. But the reality in this case is that there is no need to sound the alarm immediately because of the ‘fault’ of a study that has not yet been reviewed (since it is not even published in a journal). Right now there is a large amount of scientific evidence that proves how safe melatonin isand a single study does not put in check all the scientific literature behind it, although it does open a door to be able to investigate in a more in-depth way. melatonin side effects. For example, in 2022 a systematic review was published on high doses of melatonin in adults found minor adverse events such as drowsiness, headache or dizziness, but no increase in serious adverse events. The same thing happened with the StatPearls article of 2024 which indicated there was no evidence of toxic effects. Specifically in chronic use we have a 2023 study by Givler which confirms that the administration of between 5-6 mg of melatonin per day does not generate serious long-term risks. Although logically it is important to use it above all as an ‘help’ to have more adequate sleep hygiene with the aim of not depending on exogenous melatonin to be able to sleep. And it is necessary to carry out studies that are appropriate to look for this correlation. The study that has highlighted melatonin is not the most appropriate as it is observational and not a randomized clinical trial. This means that it has not been possible to verify exactly whether these differences are due to chance and, above all, there has been no control over the patient groups, since it has been done with their clinical histories. The correct thing to do in these situations is to propose a study with two groups: one where patients take melatonin and another where they do not. But until we reach this point, it is important to calculate the number of patients needed, how they are selected and the baseline characteristics they must have so that there are interchangeable patients in both groups and many other factors. Everything necessary so that the conclusion of the study has great external validity for the entire population. Investigation remains. Logically, any type of supplement, and especially if it is hormonal, can lead to different side effects. The issue in this case is that research is needed to look for side effects and ask ourselves if it is necessary for doctors to start prescribing it in all doses. And, as we have said before, a prescription is only needed for the highest doses, but the lowest doses can even be found in a supermarket. Although whenever you have doubts about the safety of the medication, the important thing is always to consult with your primary care doctor so that the dose can be adjusted based on the particular history of each patient. Images | Isabella Fischer Robina Weermeijer In Xataka | Of course melatonin has side effects. There is nothing special or alarming about it

Red Eléctrica asked for calm. Immediately afterwards, thousands of Spaniards flocked to buy generators and camping gas.

October 16, 2025 by usatoday24

“The ghost of the great blackout has once again haunted Spain,” This is how my partner summed it up after learning that Red Eléctrica Española had detected new “sudden voltage variations” in the peninsular network. The news was enough to reactivate a recent fear: being left in the dark again. And with that fear, the fever for forecasts also ignited. In search of forecasts. Demand for products related to energy supply and survival has increased by 76%, according to data from the European price comparator Idealo. Among which stand out stoves and camping gas, with an increase of 253%, followed by power stations at 87%, radios at 56% and portable batteries at 49%. Interest in products such as water purification tablets has also skyrocketed by 20% and flashlights by 14%. An alert that set off the alarms. The alert issued by Red Eléctrica Española October 7 was enough to put the population on guard. Although the company assured that the voltage fluctuations “do not pose an imminent risk of a blackout,” the population reacted quickly. Many households, still with fresh memories of the April 28 blackout, began to reinforce their domestic emergency kits, as recommended the European Commission at the beginning of the year. The great precedent. The current prudence is not accidental. Half a year ago, the peninsula suffered a blackout that left the entire country without power for more than twelve hours. During that day, the chaos moved to the stores: endless lines and empty shelves in hardware stores and large stores. Servimedia data they confirm it: The demand for electric generators shot up by 639% and that for gas camping stoves by 547% in just 24 hours. Mass hysteria or rational prevention? The figures may suggest an emotional reaction, but the data rather points to a new culture of foresight. Before the blackout, only 5% of Spaniards had an emergency kit prepared. After the event, the figure doubled to 10%, and the intention to prepare for it went from 32% to 58%. as detailed on YouGov. The CIS adds that 78% of citizens did not feel afraid during the blackout, although 53.5% acknowledged that they remembered the kit recommended by the EU. Furthermore, 88.2% positively valued the civic and supportive behavior of their neighbors during those hours of darkness. The phenomenon has revived the debate: are we facing a “collective energy hysteria” or a modern form of domestic resilience? The business of self-supply. In a matter of months, concern about a possible power outage has created a new market niche: that of energy self-sufficiency. Sales of generators, solar panels and stoves they multiplied by five after the blackout in April. Large chains such as Leroy Merlin or Decathlon sold out their stocks in hours, while neighborhood hardware stores had their own special August selling flashlights, radios and batteries. The trend has not stopped. From Idealo confirm that the searches of these products continue to rise. In parallel, interest has grown in so-called portable power stations, small devices capable of charging everything from mobile phones to basic appliances, and which are already among the most consulted articles on the internet. “Prepper” culture is normalized. Added to this fever of prevention is the rise of the so-called prepperspeople who prepare for emergencies. In fact, two of them described how the blackout tested their preparedness: Their kits allowed them to cook and stay informed when most people lost power. A phenomenon that, far from eccentricity, reflects a growing search for domestic autonomy. A new energy consciousness? Electrical Network insists that “There is no imminent risk of a blackout,” but citizens—and the market—think differently. The culture of self-sufficiency is no longer a rarity and has become established in the collective mentality. There is no blackout in sight, but there is a change: many prefer to rely on their generator before the electrical system. In times of uncertainty, energy is no longer only measured in kilowatts, but also in peace of mind. Image | FreePik and FreePik Xataka | A ghost haunts Spain: the ghost of another massive blackout caused by network tension problems

A strangely calm hurricanes season approaches a final uncertain stretch

September 10, 2025 by usatoday24

September 10 is a date marked in the calendars of hurricane -expert meteorologists. It is the date on which the Atlantic hurricanes season usually achieves its peak of activity. But the decreasing trend in the average activity of Atlantic cyclones should not deceive us: there is still a season ahead. We enter the final stretch. According to Experts remember NHC (National Hurricane Center), the American center dedicated to the study of hurricanes, 60% of the activity of hurricanes occurs, generally, after this peak. That is, despite having already gone through the temporary Ecuador of the season (which begins on June 1 and ends on November 30), we could still have more than half of the cyclonic activity ahead. NHC meteorologists also remember that the activity in this part of the season tends to affect the western zone of the North Atlantic, the most vulnerable area to this type of storm because it is in North America and the Caribbean where they usually touch earth. A quiet season. When the Atlantic hurricane season began, there for June, experts predicted a relatively quiet season, but the data show an even greater meekness than expected. When measuring the intensity of a hurricane season, different measures can be used such as the number of storms named, hurricane number, sum of the days with active hurricanes, etc. Another useful measure is that of the index of accumulated cyclonic energy (ACE). According to The data of the Tropical Meteorology Project of the State University of Colorado (CSU), at this point in the hurricane season, the expected Ace based on the Atlantic weather would be 55.8, while the ACE observed is only 39. This implies that the observed data are 30.1% lower compared to those initially expected. Erin, the disruptive force. In addition, there is the circumstance that most of this energy is due to a single hurricane, Erin. Erin’s Ace was 32.2which represents about 82.6% of the total season. What’s happening. That this year’s season was less intense than the previous one was to wait: the temperature in the Atlantic, even though it has not reached the extreme levels seen in recent years and the oscillation of the child has remained in a kind of indecision. A Recent study Led by the meteorologist of the CSU Philip Klotzbach, he highlighted three reasons that could explain to a good extent what we are observing, starting with an “dry and stable” Atlantic. The second of the factors highlighted by the team is a channel pronounced in the high troposphere capable of increasing the vertical wind shear (one of the two determining factors, together with the oceanic temperature, in the formation of hurricanes). The third and last factor would be a descending movement over the African continent, which would be affecting rainfall in West Africa and with it the intensity of waves in the region. What can we expect. Klotzbach’s team coincides with NHC experts to emphasize the possibility that the season resume intensity from this month. “We anticipate that the resume season (intensity), since large -scale conditions seem more tropical and favorable to cyclones later in September,” explain in your text. Therefore they recommend not changing seasonal forecast. The initial estimate of the Tropical Meteorology project of the CSU indicated that the expected oil for the end of the year It is 122.5. On the other hand, if we take the last data (39) and apply the estimate that 60% of the activity occurs in these last months of the season, we would have an expected oil around 100. We will have to wait to see if the trend continues or if on the contrary we see if this season steps on the accelerator in its last months of activity. In Xataka | The walls against hurricanes no longer work and Darpa has the solution: a wall of oysters and corals Image | Hurricane Erin. NASA Earth Observatory by Michala Garrison, using NASA EOSDIS Lance, GIBS/WorldView, and Suomi National Polar-Footing Partnership.

Here the ‘calm’ neutron observatory was installed

July 21, 2025 by usatoday24

In a corner of the Guadalajara Science and Technology Park, far from large telescopes and space agencies, there are A 40 -ton mole dedicated to detecting high -energy particles that constantly bombard the earth. It’s called calm. “Castilla-La Mancha Neutron Monitor”. And for more than a decade it is the first and only installation of its kind in Spain. His work: monitor the attacks of the sun and understand how cosmic rays affect our planet. From space to Guadalajara. The origin of calm is intrinsically linked to the mission Solar orbiter of the European Space Agency. Scientists from the University of Alcalá designed one of the key instruments of the probe, the energy particle detector. Following that experience, an idea arose: build an instrument on land. “We thought of a system that would allow us He explained to Eldiario.es Juan José Blanco, head of the project. Running since 2011. What began almost as a support project for a space mission of ESA has become an international reference in neutron monitoring. Financed with funds from the European Union and the Board of Communities of Castilla-La Mancha, Calm is integrated into the World Network of Neutron Monitorswhere you pour your data in real time. Today is a distributed project. Calm has a twin node called orca which detects both neutrons and muons. It is at the Antarctic base Juan Carlos I of Livingston Island, a magnetically privileged location. The project also has a mobile detector called Mini-Calma which has traveled aboard the Hesperides ship to measure the flow of cosmic rays throughout the journey to Antarctica. The last node to join the project is called Icaro and is installed in the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory (in Tenerife). It measures neutron of solar origin from 2,000 meters of altitude. What exactly measures. When Cosmic rays (High energy particles from deep space) collide with the atoms of our atmosphere, generate a cascade of secondary particles. Among them, neutrons that reach the surface. The sun, with its magnetic field, acts as a modulating shield: the greater solar activity, less galactic cosmic rays reach the earth, and vice versa. Measuring neutron flow, calm can infer solar activity. In addition, it is able to directly detect the arrival of solar energy particles that have been expelled during large eruptions. How a neutron monitor works. The detector consists of gas full of gas surrounded by several layers that alternate lead and polyethylene. This structure allows to reject neutrons that are not very energetic, that is, the environmental ones, letting those who come from space pass, after reducing their speed, to be able to analyze them. With 12 of its 15 active tubes, this 40 -ton machine is a particle filter of amazing precision. What is the use of calm. All this technology has a very practical purpose: to protect us from spatial meteorology. Solar eruptions and coronal mass ejections can be spectacular and create intense northern norter, but also They are extremely dangerous For our technological civilization. The Operators of the Electricity use this data to protect their facilities. Airlines and space agencies need them to assess radiation levels on high altitude routes. And the space industry to protect astronauts and satellites in orbit. It even has applications for interplanetary trips. After having already measured a complete solar cycle of 11 years, calm can be used in the missions to Mars to know which is the best time to start the trip, minimizing Astronaut’s exhibition to radiation. Image | Uah In Xataka | The biggest study in mice sows doubts about travel to Mars: the space shrinks the kidneys

Elon Musk asked for calm and endure the actions of Tesla. Its president did otherwise and has won 230 million dollars

May 16, 2025 by usatoday24

While Tesla is going through one of the more complicated moments Of recent years due to a drastic fall in its sales, Robyn Denholm, president of the company’s board of directors has starred in a series of movements that have caught the attention of investors and analysts. In the middle of the Financial storm and of A reputational crisis That whips the manufacturer, Denholm has sold a significant part of his Tesla shares, obtaining about 230 million dollars, while Elon Musk asked his investors to maintain his shares. The paradox that Denholm raises is evident: while the company struggles to recover the market and customer confidencethe most responsible for the Council unchanges the fate that Employees can run and Tesla shareholders. Millionaire sales in full crisis. According to He informed Associated PressRobyn Denholm has sold more than 230 million dollars in Tesla shares since Elon Musk He expressed his support for Donald Trump After his attack. More than half of this amount was obtained in the first four months of 2025, just before the value of Tesla’s actions lost a good part of its value And that its benefits They will collapse 71%. Little attachment for actions. One of the reasons why the directors and members of the Board of Directors of the companies receive a good part of your salary in shares is to link its economic benefit with The prosperity of the company They represent. Therefore, when a manager sells shares during a crisis, investors perceive that something very bad happens. According to published by The New York Timessince Denholm assumed the presidency of the Tesla Board of Directors at the end of 2018, he has sold titles worth $ 530 million, undoing more than 1.4 million shares. That represents more than half of your participation in the company. According to the regulations of the US stock and values commission (SEC), most of these sales were made under Pre -established sales plans presented as of July 2024, coinciding with the Elon Musk’s political implication And the beginning of Turbulences for Tesla. Contradictions with Musk’s speech. Although the operation of shares by Denholm is completely legal, the chosen moment has generated doubts about his confidence in the future of Tesla. His mass sale of shares contrasts with the message that Elon Musk directed its employees Last March, when he explicitly asked them to “hold on to their actions” and not sell them, trusting in the “brilliant and exciting” future for the company, although the price of their shares did not stop falling. While Musk I tried to calm down To the workforce and the small investors with a categorical “what I am saying is that they keep their shares,” Denholm opted to liquidate part of their assets in the company, sending a signal opposite to the market and minority shareholders. Controversies in its management. Denholm’s management at the head of the Board of Directors of Tesla had already been subject to controversy before its massive sale of shares. Both Denholm and other council members were accused in court for not properly protecting the interests of shareholders, especially during the approval process of the Elon Musk’s salary package. Reuters It echoed In July 2023 that Denholm and other executives of Tesla had reached an agreement to return 735 million dollars, after being accused of having granted excessive compensation taking advantage of their position in the company, reinforcing the image of a more focused management on their own benefit than on the collective interest of the shareholders. On May 1, 2025, Tesla canceled the rights on Packages of Actions of Actions of Denholm and other executives of Tesla as payment of that sanction. In Xataka | The Tesla employees letter requested by Elon Musk’s cessation has generated layoffs. It has not been that of his CEO Image | Wikimedia Commons (Cebit Australia), Tesla

They ask for calm before Trump’s order that denies birthright citizenship

January 22, 2025 by usatoday24

Migrant leaders asked undocumented parents to remain calm in the face of President Trump’s executive order ending the right to birthright citizenship in the United States. “It is pure political rhetoric to satisfy those who supported him becoming president,” said immigration lawyer Alex Gálvez. In one of his first acts in office, Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and those who entered on temporary visas, either tourist or student visas. This is a right that is granted automatically to those born in the country. California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s executive order. “Attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and downright un-American,” said Prosecutor Bonta. “California condemns the President’s attempts to erase history and ignore 125 years of Supreme Court precedent.” Therefore, he noted that they are asking a court to immediately block this order from taking effect and ensure that the rights of children born in the United States affected by this order remain in effect while the litigation takes place. “The President has exceeded his authority with this order and we will hold him accountable.” Bonta joins 18 state attorneys general and pro-immigrant organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that have sued Trump to prevent his executive order eliminating the right to birthright citizenship from taking effect. Under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, all children born on American soil are automatically guaranteed citizenship and the rights and privileges that come with it. Parental fear Attorney Gálvez said that the lawsuits against him will freeze Trump’s order, and therefore, undocumented parents who are expecting their babies should not feel any fear of not being able to register them as citizens of this country. “It is not a retroactive order either,” he said. He stated that the matter will be resolved in the Supreme Court, and it will not last long because there are already precedents. He added that because the right to citizenship is guaranteed in the United States Constitution, a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress is required to amend it. “A president by decree cannot change it. We do not live in a dictatorship but in a democracy; and Trump cannot modify that right without two-thirds of the vote. If you want to do it you have to negotiate with the legislators.” Meanwhile, he asked immigrant parents not to worry that their children will be born with the full right to be citizens of the United States, and they will be able to register them as such without any problem. In 1898, the United States Supreme Court upheld this right in a case brought by Wong Kim Ark, a San Francisco-born Chinese-American who had been denied his right to re-enter the country after a trip abroad. In the lawsuit, 18 state attorneys general – led by California, New Jersey and Massachusetts – argue that President Trump’s unprecedented executive order violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Section 1401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and that its entry into force should be immediately blocked while the litigation unfolds. In a December interview with Meet the Press On NBC, Trump declared that children of undocumented immigrant parents should be deported along with their parents, even if they were born in the United States. “I don’t want to break families. So the only way to not separate the family is to keep them together and send them all back.” Keep calm Juan José Gutiérrez, director of the Coalition for the Full Rights of Immigrants, even asked immigrant parents who are waiting for a child not to be afraid, and to first of all focus on ensuring that their baby is born healthy. “They should know that the executive order to deny citizenship to children born in the United States is not law. It is a decree that conflicts with the Constitution, and we have already gone to court to overthrow it.” He stressed that he cannot proceed because the Constitution needs to be modified, and for that two-thirds of the Federal Congress must vote. “If it were approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives, it would then have to go to the legislatures of the 50 states, and pass with a margin of 66% or more with at least the vote of 33, 34 states” . Gutiérrez considered it very difficult for that to happen. “Trump said he was giving 90 days for his decree to take effect. What is going to happen is that before that date, the federal courts, especially the most progressive ones, like California, are going to block this order.”. He stressed that the Constitution is the supreme law of the United States, and it cannot be changed just for the sake of it. “So I tell immigrant parents not to be afraid. Rest assured because it remains to be seen if they will be denied citizenship. For that we are going to fight with everything.” A subclass without rights Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the plaintiff organizations, said the order seeks to repeat one of the gravest mistakes in American history by creating a permanent underclass of people born in the United States who are denied all rights as an American. “We will not allow this attack on newborns and future generations of Americans to go unanswered. “The Trump administration’s overreach is so egregious that we are confident we will ultimately prevail.”

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