debate

Science has managed to turn off the extra chromosome of Down syndrome. It has also opened the great ethical debate on gene editing

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In the complex genetic map that surrounds the known down syndromethe problem is not that there is a lack of information in our cells, but that there is an excess. The presence of a third copy of chromosome 21 It unbalances the entire cellular system that ends up generating an entire clinic that today did not have any type of cure. But thanks to clinical advances and revolutionary gene therapies, we have found a way to turn off this gene that is extra in the cells of people with Down. A natural switch. To understand this advance, we must look at how nature itself resolves its own genetic imbalances. And, for those who do not know, in human beings sex is determined by two types of chromosomes: X and Y. If you are a woman, you will have XX chromosomes, and if you are a man, you will have XY. The problem, boiling it down to its most basic, is that always one of the ‘X’ genes must be silenced so that the genetic load is compensated in humans. And this is something that is done thanks to the gene XIST which encodes an RNA molecule that covers the chromosome and alters its chromatin, silencing de facto their genes. Something that has been developed by nature itself in order to maintain the species, and then the question is obligatory: why not use this natural switch to silence the chromosomes that generate diseases as important as Down syndrome? It’s not something new. The idea of ​​using this “switch” to be able to alter the gene expression of the chromosomes that we have in excess is not new, since in 2013 the researcher Jeanne Lawrence demonstrated for the first time that this RNA could induce the silencing of the extra chromosome 21 in human cells that were in culture in a laboratory. Later, in 2020, it was applied to neural stem cells, but the historical problem has always been the same: the very low efficiency when integrating this gene into the affected cells.. A new milestone. This has changed radically, as a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston has published a new article in PNAS with a solution to eradicate this bottleneck thanks to the tool CRISPR/Cas9. This system can be visualized as simple scissors that specifically cut into our DNA to eliminate something that was left over or altered. The problem is that it was not very efficient at integrating new genetic material, and to overcome this, scientists have developed a modified version of CRISPR/Cas9 that boosts the success rate of the integration of the XIST gene which will silence the third chromosome 21. Good results. Here we recognize how XIST has been integrated into 20-40% of cell lines that have trisomy 21. Furthermore, the method reliably affects only the extra copy of chromosome 21 without silencing other genes that can cause other diseases. There are problems. Despite the enthusiasm, the technique is far from being applied in humans, since one of the biggest challenges of CRISPR is the mutations off-target, That is, it acts on other genetic points that are its marked objectives. And this occurs when these ‘scissors’ cut a sequence of DNA that closely resembles its target, but which in reality is not. In this way, an error off-target It could trigger severe cellular problems or even cancer. Recent studies show that experimentation on embryos with these techniques often results in mosaicism with edited and unedited cells, as well as incomplete edits. This means that right now we have to work on having greater specificity in the genetic objectives of the therapy so that the consequences of using it are not much greater than the fact of curing a disease. Ethical shock. The controversy is served with genetic therapies in general, since right now one of the lines that are open is to eliminate this extra chromosome directly in a human embryo before implementing it in a woman so that she is not born with this disease. This is where bioethicists they point because experimenting with human embryos damages their physical integrity and poses irreversible risks for future generations. Furthermore, they underline the urgency of distinguishing between the use of CRISPR for purely therapeutic purposes, such as treating symptoms, and its use for “genetic improvement” or the selection of embryos that are much more advanced or genetically perfect. This is also added to the fact that genetic editing in embryos for reproductive purposes is currently prohibited in most countries. Images | Sangharsh Lohakare In Xataka | The surprising thing is not that we have sequenced the DNA of a Neanderthal from 11,000 years ago: it is what it has revealed

Science has managed to turn off the extra chromosome of Down syndrome. It has also opened the great ethical debate on gene editing

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In the complex genetic map that surrounds the known down syndromethe problem is not that there is a lack of information in our cells, but that there is an excess. The presence of a third copy of chromosome 21 It unbalances the entire cellular system that ends up generating an entire clinic that today did not have any type of cure. But thanks to clinical advances and revolutionary gene therapies, we have found a way to turn off this gene that is extra in the cells of people with Down. A natural switch. To understand this advance, we must look at how nature itself resolves its own genetic imbalances. And, for those who do not know, in human beings sex is determined by two types of chromosomes: X and Y. If you are a woman, you will have XX chromosomes, and if you are a man, you will have XY. The problem, boiling it down to its most basic, is that always one of the ‘X’ genes must be silenced so that the genetic load is compensated in humans. And this is something that is done thanks to the gene XIST which encodes an RNA molecule that covers the chromosome and alters its chromatin, silencing de facto their genes. Something that has been developed by nature itself in order to maintain the species, and then the question is obligatory: why not use this natural switch to silence the chromosomes that generate diseases as important as Down syndrome? It’s not something new. The idea of ​​using this “switch” to be able to alter the gene expression of the chromosomes that we have in excess is not new, since in 2013 the researcher Jeanne Lawrence demonstrated for the first time that this RNA could induce the silencing of the extra chromosome 21 in human cells that were in culture in a laboratory. Later, in 2020, it was applied to neural stem cells, but the historical problem has always been the same: the very low efficiency when integrating this gene into the affected cells.. A new milestone. This has changed radically, as a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston has published a new article in PNAS with a solution to eradicate this bottleneck thanks to the tool CRISPR/Cas9. This system can be visualized as simple scissors that specifically cut into our DNA to eliminate something that was left over or altered. The problem is that it was not very efficient at integrating new genetic material, and to overcome this, scientists have developed a modified version of CRISPR/Cas9 that boosts the success rate of the integration of the XIST gene which will silence the third chromosome 21. Good results. Here we recognize how XIST has been integrated into 20-40% of cell lines that have trisomy 21. Furthermore, the method reliably affects only the extra copy of chromosome 21 without silencing other genes that can cause other diseases. There are problems. Despite the enthusiasm, the technique is far from being applied in humans, since one of the biggest challenges of CRISPR is the mutations off-target, That is, it acts on other genetic points that are its marked objectives. And this occurs when these ‘scissors’ cut a sequence of DNA that closely resembles its target, but which in reality is not. In this way, an error off-target It could trigger severe cellular problems or even cancer. Recent studies show that experimentation on embryos with these techniques often results in mosaicism with edited and unedited cells, as well as incomplete edits. This means that right now we have to work on having greater specificity in the genetic objectives of the therapy so that the consequences of using it are not much greater than the fact of curing a disease. Ethical shock. The controversy is served with genetic therapies in general, since right now one of the lines that are open is to eliminate this extra chromosome directly in a human embryo before implementing it in a woman so that she is not born with this disease. This is where bioethicists they point because experimenting with human embryos damages their physical integrity and poses irreversible risks for future generations. Furthermore, they underline the urgency of distinguishing between the use of CRISPR for purely therapeutic purposes, such as treating symptoms, and its use for “genetic improvement” or the selection of embryos that are much more advanced or genetically perfect. This is also added to the fact that genetic editing in embryos for reproductive purposes is currently prohibited in most countries. Images | Sangharsh Lohakare In Xataka | The surprising thing is not that we have sequenced the DNA of a Neanderthal from 11,000 years ago: it is what it has revealed

In 1599 someone wrote down how tortillas were made in Spain. And settles once and for all the debate between “con and sincebollistas”

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Whoever writes this (honesty above all) is a sincebollist unredeemedone of many supporters of the firm conviction that the Spanish tortilla should not contain onion under any circumstances. Having said that, I have to admit the following: if there is an ingredient that can claim its historical place in the national omelet, in addition to eggs, it is the onion. Even before the oil or the potato. And not only because the latter did not reach Europe until well entered the 16th century. Long before the Spaniards even became familiar with what a potato was, they were already feasting on onions and eggs, without the need for any tuberculous seasoning. In fact, it took centuries for the potato to join the party. “Of the art of cooking”. Jesús Munárriz said that “it’s all in the books”. That (pardon the redundancy) is applicable to everything, from history to science, through human passions, religion, geography and of course gastronomy. A few weeks ago, coinciding with Tortilla Day (March 9), the Royal Academy (RAE) wanted to remind us on Instagram dusting off an old book that reveals how our 16th century ancestors ate. The work in question is titled ‘Book of kitchen art’ and basically it is a recipe book from 1599 in which culinary techniques, advice on food and drink and the secrets of the jobs of butler, maître, waiter, carver or cook are detailed. Some recipes for meat and fish are also included. The work is interesting both for its age and content and for its author. As remember The Royal Academy of Gastronomy was written by none other than Diego Granado Maldonado, the head chef of Philip III himself. And are you talking about tortillas? Yes. Although probably the tortillas that Diego Granado tells us about are not similar to that pincho that you usually have with beer. What Felipe III’s chef does is explain how to make a juicy omelet using eggs, bacon, cheese, cinnamon… and (exactly) onion. “Ten fresh eggs are enough and you have six ounces of streaky bacon cut into cubes, and three ounces of onion that has been cooked in the embers of the embers, and finely chopped, and fried with melted lardo, and with the bacon cut, put with the eggs three ounces of buttery cheese, half an ounce between pepper and cinnamon, and finely chopped herbs, and put everything in the pan where the bacon and onion are, and make the tortilla, and serve hot with orange juice on top. Later the cook clarify including how to make a double 14-egg omelet or even other options of up to 15 eggs with salted pork jowl, cheese and breadcrumbs. In the latter case, many of the original ingredients vary, but the basics are repeated: eggs and finely chopped onions. The ‘pre-patatil’ era. Curiosities aside, Granado’s book is interesting because it shows us how the Spanish ate (and prepared tortillas) long before potato consumption spread throughout Europe. After all, humans have been familiar with this tuber for millennia, but its popularization on the old continent is relatively recent. Although it is believed that the potato began to be cultivated ago 8,000 years in the Andes mountain range did not make the leap to the other shore of the Atlantic until late in the 16ththanks largely to the soldiers of Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada. No love at first sight. Today it may seem incredible to us that our ancestors 500 years ago did not succumb to the delights of good roast potatoes or that they were quick to change bacon for potatoes in their tortillas, but the truth is that at first that elongated tuber from Peru and Colombia did not exactly cause a stir. José Carlos Capel, critic and member of the Royal Academy of Gastronomy (RAG), remembers it in an article published in March 2024 precisely coinciding with Tortilla Day. The potato did not begin to triumph until a few centuries later. In fact, we have to go back to the 18th century, during the reign of Charles III, when crops were organized to combat famine. The Spaniards of that time looked at the tuber with eyes so different from those of 2026 that in 1785 an Irishman living in Madrid, Henry Doylededicated a book to him to clear up doubts: ‘Treaty on the use and benefits of potatoes’. A success story. Perhaps in Austrian Spain, potatoes were not very successful, but things changed over time. So much, in fact, that right now each Spaniard consumes on average around 20 kilos per year if we add the fresh, frozen and processed varieties. Around 1767 the agronomist José Antonio Valcárcel already wrote on the use of potatoes to make tortillas. At some point between the 16th century and that date, the tuber sneaked into the recipe, forming a successful tandem with eggs that was consolidated over time. It worked so well that it ended up eclipsing the rest of the ingredients that Granado kept in his pantry, in the palace of Felipe III. The great unknown. Who, when and how had the happy idea of ​​creating what we know today as ‘Spanish omelet’? There is theories They attribute the credit to General Tomás de Zumalacárregui, in the 19th century, during the siege of Bilbao, but the reality is much simpler (and discouraging): we have no idea. “No matter how much we search through old recipe books and literary allusions, we will never know who created one of our iconic dishes,” explains Capel. What is clear is that the potato omelette as we understand it is not such an ancient culinary work. In fact, it was not consolidated until the 18th or 19th century. Even more recent is the name with which we distinguish it: ‘Spanish omelet’. Turning the tables. Capel contributes another key that complicates (even more) the story. Perhaps in Spain, omelettes were made with eggs and onions rather than with potatoes, but as time passed and once the concept of what we … Read more

We thought the marathon was heartbreaking. The largest medical follow-up to date has just settled the debate

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When an amateur runner crosses the finish line after 42 kilometers, his body is on the limit, and so is his heart. This is something that can be seen in a simple analysis where it is seen how the levels of troponin T, one of the warning markers of a heart attack, and evident fatigue in the right ventricle. But in this case the question is obvious: Can doing a marathon kill us? The answer It’s no. This has been demonstrated by an exhaustive study published at the end of 2025 in JAMA Cardiology, which has pointed out that, despite the extreme stress on the heart in the short term, amateur marathon running does not cause long-term cardiac damage. To understand the magnitude of this discovery, we must return to the origin of fear and here recent works, such as those published in Frontiers in Physiology or studies on ultramarathon runners, have documented repeatedly what happens immediately after the race. What has been done. Logically, the effort of doing a marathon at a high level of effort induces morphological and biochemical ventricular changes. The heart here is subjected to a great overload of volume and pressure, releasing proteins that in a patient at rest in the emergency room would set off all the alarms for a possible heart attack. But to draw conclusions, the research has followed the same runners for ten years. The Be-MaGIC project. With this premise, the investigation was not born yesterday, but rather the team took advantage of the historical cohort of this project that originated in the 2009 Munich marathon. In this way, the researchers decided to follow 152 amateur male runners with an initial average age of 43 years. In this way, participants were evaluated before the marathon, after crossing the finish line, one day after, three days after and finally ten years later. To do this, state-of-the-art 3D echocardiography was used and also the analysis of cardiac biomarkers to determine how the ventricles function, which are ultimately the main pumps of the heart. The results. After all these years, studies indicated that, after completing the race, all cardiac function began to be greatly altered with increases in cardiac biomarkers. But this is something that was resolved in the following days until he reached the age of 10 with a completely perfect heart. No scarring of heart tissue, no premature heart failure. Everything is normal, despite the fact that after the race the stress to which he has been subjected is very high and can cause concern. What does this mean? The scientific study confirms that the human heart is an extraordinarily elastic machine. Here, right ventricular dysfunction and troponin release after running 42 kilometers should be interpreted as a transient physiological response to extreme exercise and not as permanent pathological damage. Of course, this doesn’t mean that marathon running is without acute risks, especially for people with underlying or undiagnosed heart conditions. However, for the average amateur runner who trains properly, the science is clear: crossing that finish line will exhaust your body, but it won’t mortgage the future of your heart. Images | Miguel Amutio Kenny Eliason In Xataka | Walking very fast seems the most effective way to lose fat: science knows that the key is to do it with an incline

is left out of the elections and reopens the debate on its verification

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Carrying your ID on your cell phone is no longer a hypothesis, it is a reality in Spain. The official application MyDNI allows you to identify yourself with legal validity on a day-to-day basis, replicating in digital format several of the uses of the physical document and relying on systems such as the QR code verification. On paper, the approach is clear: simplify identification without losing guarantees. But when this technology leaves the controlled field and enters more demanding contexts, questions arise. And that is precisely what just happened. The point of friction has not taken long to appear, and it has done so in one of the environments where any identification system is most stressed: elections. The Central Electoral Board has agreed suspend the use of MiDNI and MyDGT in electoral processes until “it is guaranteed that the control of the verification of the identity of voters by these systems is sufficiently secure.” The measure responds to a request from the Popular Party, which had warned of “doubts and social alarm” around how identity is verified in these applications, especially in the absence of additional mechanisms. A digital advance in the face of its first major trust test To understand where that point of friction appears, you have to look at how the system is designed. MiDNI allows you to display on the screen a version of the document with basic data such as name, photo and ID numberelements that the Central Electoral Board itself had considered valid to identify the voter. But it also offers an additional level through a QR code that gives access to the complete DNI and whose validity is temporary. This code acts as a real-time verification mechanism, since it connects with the National Police servers. In practice, however, it is not always used and there is no general system at the tables to check it. Until now, in fact, the Central Electoral Board itself had maintained a more flexible criterion. According to El Paíshad already rejected a similar request from the PP before the elections in Castilla y León. Interior also defended that this interpretation fit with the flexible criteria that the Board itself has been applying to facilitate voter identification, to the point of allowing voting with an expired DNI or without documentation if the members of the table know the voter personally. The change in criteria, therefore, does not come after incidents reported at the tables, but rather as a result of reopened doubts about how identity should be verified with these applications. The case does not mean the end of the digital DNI, but it does introduce an important nuance in its development. MiDNI continues to be part of the identification digitalization process in Spain and maintains its role in different face-to-face uses. At the same time, its landing in a context such as the electoral one has reopened the debate on how identity should be verified in especially sensitive environments. The suspension agreed to by the Central Electoral Board is proposed as a temporary measure until this aspect is resolved. Images | MiDNI Portal In Xataka | Carrying your ID on your cell phone is very easy. You just have to take advantage of your next visit to the police station

Hollywood has been debating for years whether AI can replace real actors. With Val Kilmer the debate turns into practice

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A year after his death, Val Kilmer will appear in a fiction film without filming a single scene. ‘As Deep as the Grave’ uses generative AI to bring the actor to life with the explicit support of his family and respecting the rules of the actors’ union. It is the first documented case of a Hollywood star being digitally recreated on this scale and with this level of legitimacy. Perhaps in the future this film will be seen as the point at which there was no turning back. As deep as the grave. Val Kilmer died on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65, from pneumonia resulting from the throat cancer that he had been fighting since 2014. This week, almost a year later, the production company First Line Films has announced that the actor will return to the screens in a role that he was never able to film. The film, initially known as ‘Canyon of the Dead’, is a historical drama based on the true story of Ann and Earl Morris, early 20th century archaeologists who documented the culture of the Navajo people in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. Kilmer was cast five years ago to play Father Fintan, a Native American Catholic priest and spiritualist. The role was designed around him: Kilmer identified with the character’s Native American heritage and with the story’s spiritual link to the American Southwest, where he made his home in New Mexico. “We were ready to film his part. Just, (Val Kilmer) was going through a very, very difficult medical time,” has counted director and screenwriter Coerte Voorhees. Go for AI. The production accumulated six years between filming and forced stops due to the pandemic. When the Voorhees brothers (Coerte directs, John produces) reviewed the material, they saw that Father Fintan’s scenes were essential to the story. Replacing the actor was a possible solution, but they did not have the budget to repeat the shoot. So they chose to generate it artificially. What makes this recreation technically unique is not only the use of images of the actor at different stages of his life, many contributed directly by his family, but the decision to use his real voice, deteriorated by the tracheotomy that Kilmer had to undergo during cancer treatment. Father Fintan suffers from tuberculosis in the fiction, which turns his altered voice into a character trait. The character generated by AI occupies, according to those responsible, a significant part of the final footage. Pioneer Kilmer. The curious thing is that Kilmer was one of the first actors to actively resort to AI to preserve his communication skills. In 2021, while working on the documentary ‘Val’, he collaborated with the startup Sonantic to reconstruct your voice from hours of archival recordings. The company had to develop new algorithms (the available material was ten times less than what they used in other projects) and generated more than 40 different models before selecting the most expressive. That work reached the general public in 2022, when Kilmer appeared in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, in an appearance that was one of the most talked-about moments of the film. Seal of approval. What distinguishes ‘As Deep as the Grave’ is the consents that support it. The actor’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, states that “my father always looked at emerging technologies with optimism, as a tool to expand the possibilities of the story. This spirit is what we honor within this film.” The producers also assure that the film followed the SAG-AFTRA union guidelines and that the actor’s family receives financial compensation. The environment. This news comes amid constant updates on the topic of AI to generate prototypes of real actors or completely new virtual creatures. In recent months, the Xicoia company launched Tilly Norwooda character entirely generated by AI whom she presented as an actress, and which SAG-AFTRA unambiguously condemned, calling her a direct threat to the profession. Here, however, we have the posthumous realization of a job that the actor himself had accepted. But… what will happen when the technology is accessible to productions without family endorsement? How is compliance with SAG-AFTRA standards monitored in independent productions? Can a case like this normalize practices in less scrupulous hands? Header | Variety In Xataka | Seedance’s strategy was to copy first, go viral later and back away later. Until Hollywood said “enough”

The debate format that has been radicalizing opinions in the US for years. arrives in Spain. Xokas is its protagonist

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The Galician streamer The Xokas sat opposite several ideological rivals in a debate produced and presented by Ibai Llanos on YouTube. The format, which draws directly from the Anglo-Saxon model popularized by Charlie Kirk and ‘Turning Point USA’, leaves open a few questions about the politicization of streaming entertainment and the risks of a genre that turns ideas into spectacle. The Xoqué? If you have been under a virtual rock in recent months and have no idea who El Xkoxas is, here are some facts: Gonzalo Pérez grew up like streamer during the pandemic years, the same period in which platforms like Twitch They multiplied their user base in Europe. Millions of confined people found in these new communicators a company that traditional television did not offer them, and creators like El Xokas capitalized on it. Its followers are mostly young men, between 16 and 30 years old, a very important fact to understand the drift towards incendiary political opinions that its content is having lately. It becomes politicized. The transition of gaming to the political commentary It was not a leap, but a gradual change. Xokas incorporated opinions on current affairs, criticism of what he called “single thinking” and positions on cultural debates (feminism, identity, political correctness) that generated more opinions for and against than any video game game. The search for controversy is a strategy that YouTube algorithm rewards to a greater extent than neutral content. Its truthfulness or independence are aspects completely unrelated to success. Consequence of this drift: He doesn’t invent anything. The “political streamer” is a figure who has come a long way outside of Spain. Figures like Tim Pool either Steven Crowder In the United States they created a template that El Xokas is now repeating: they build a base audience on entertainment topics and when they grow, they pivot towards political commentary, without losing followers along the way, and gaining many new ones. Until recently, our ecosystem of creators declared itself apolitical, with successful streamers like Ibai or El Rubius absolutely oblivious to this type of controversy (and although it is often easy to detect the colors, never declared, of creators like AuronPlay, TheGrefg or Illojuan). The model that Kirk invented. And so we come to the debate of ‘Xokas vs. 8 haters’: eight people critical of the streamer’s career debate with him one by one, with Ibai as host and referee. They talked about Xokas’ personality, politics, economics or feminism and four days later, the video has exceeded four and a half million views. It is a format copied from the debates that Charlie Kirk, A conservative debater, he was organizing until his death since 2012: he in the center, progressive students rebutting him one after another, with Kirk responding to each argument before moving on to the next. The format problem. Different studies have pointed out problems with the format, which make rhetorical ability the true value of these discussions: whoever speaks faster and with more confidence seems to win even if their data is incorrect. In the absence of real-time verification mechanisms, the appearance of handling authentic data matters more than actually doing so. The central debater has an advantage due to the confrontation with successive rivals, which eliminates the pressure of arguments: every time a rival finds a line of argument, time runs out. This Spanish version has some added problems: the title itself already generates an editorial reading: naming the critics as “haters” implies that Xokas is the one who is right: if he debates against “haters”, any argument they raise is associated in advance with bad faith, not with reasoning. Politics, on YouTube. A recent Reuters report documents that Spain follows the European trend of shifting information consumption towards video platforms. Those under 35 years of age are the group furthest from traditional formats and, therefore, are more exposed to political opinion mediated by content creators. That is, the public conversation about taxes, feminism or freedom of expression occurs in environments where the editorial rules are different, more wild and less regulated than those of a conventional medium. History of controversies. To get an idea of ​​how the Xokas positions may be affecting younger people, these are some of the controversial opinions they have expressed: Critical in 2021 to ElRubius and TheGrefg for going to Andorra to pay less taxes. Less than a year later, he threatened to leave if they kept uploading them to him. His trick stolen from “a friend” to flirt with drunk girls was the one who generated more criticism outside the streaming environment, and motivated the famous video of the Ministry of Equality in which he was actively identified as one of the main sources of sexist attitudes of mass reach in Spain. In March 2022, it was discovered that her Twitter defender @CathyVipi, which she used to insult critics and competitors, he carried it himself. He stated that the majority of people who cannot change their physique are “undisciplined and lazy“, rejecting the influence of genetic or psychological factors. It was criticized how opinions of this type can affect young followers. After invest in Knoweatsa home-prepared food company, publicly attacked Wetaca (direct competition) in a live broadcast. Wetaca responded on social media by recovering previous statements from Xokas in which it said that “eating healthy is stupid“. Controlling the narrative of all these controversies is essential for El Xokas and his occasional ally Ibai. For this, nothing better than a trap debate. In Xataka | China has solved the mystery of why there are people who go bankrupt watching streams: the “榜一大哥”

Idaho has been embroiled in a debate over a flag ban. And he has the ikurriña in his sights

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An unexpected protagonist has slipped into the (convulsive) public debate in the US: the ikurriña. glancingly and for those hazards of history that raise eyebrows, the flag of Euskadi has become a headache for the legislators of the country led by Trump. To be more precise, the controversy has jumped in boise (the capital of Idaho), where a active diaspora which explains why the city has its own Basque ‘neighborhood’, Basque Block. There you can find traditional bars, a museum… and ikurriñas. Now, in full debate Regarding which flags can or cannot be raised on their masts, there are those who believe that red, green and white banners have no place. What has happened? That Idaho has plunged into a nasty fight about what flags they can fly in their streets, at least from public buildings. So far, nothing strange in a nation whose public debate (already tense) is taking place pending a key date: November 3House of Representatives election day. What is striking is the drift that this discussion has taken and how it has ended up focusing the focus on the ikurriñas. Question of flags. To understand it, you must first understand the convoluted political board of Boise. On one side we have its mayor, the Democrat Lauren McLean. In the other Ted HillRepublican MP from Idaho. Some time ago the first, McLean, earned the anger of Hill and the rest of the conservative bench by keeping the LGTBIQ+ flag hanging on the façade of City Hall beyond the Pride Month‘Pride Month’. That decision I didn’t like it in Donald Trump’s party, which began to legislate so that only official emblems can be hoisted. At least in public buildings. The measure went ahead and the issue seemed to be settled. At least for a while. Wasn’t it like that? No. McLaren was not willing to give in. In a clever twist, Boise declared the LGTBIQ+ flag official in the city, continuing to fly it without violating Republican law. Was the fight over at that point? No. Hill reacted by launching the legislative machinery so that the only flags ‘able’ on the Government’s flagpoles are those prior to 2023, the year in which Boise assumed the rainbow banner as its own. What does all this have to do with Euskadi? Initially the republican norm included certain exceptions (flags other than the Stars and Stripes that could be displayed on public buildings), but as time went by, their proposal became more rigid. And that affected one of Boise’s most popular groups: the Basque diaspora. As strange as it may sound, in the city of Ada County it is not only possible to see flags of the USA, the state of Idaho or LGTBIQ+. It is also not unusual to find ikurriñas waving in the wind. Why’s that? Although Bouse is thousands of kilometers from Euskadi, it hosts an active Basque community whose history can go back to the 19th century, when a group of Biscayan emigrants decided to find a life in the United States. The passage of time (and generations) did not erase its identity and today in Boise, recognizes the Hispanic Council itselfit is possible to find “an entire block dedicated to Basque culture”, with restaurants, frontons, a museum and even an education center. The greatest emblem of the diaspora in Idaho (with permission from the ikurriña) is the Jaialdia festival that moves thousands of people and which in 2025 even had a visit of Lehendakari Imanol Pradales. On festival days it is even easier to come across the Basque flag. “It flies during Jaialdi, when the Basque delegation comes to our state and we honor that deep heritage in Idaho. To me, it is a very appropriate way, reason and occasion to fly the autonomous flag of the Basque community. I wonder how it is different from flying the flag of another country for a special occasion,” I questioned recently Democratic Representative Anne Haws. And the storm broke out. The ikurriña was not the trigger for the controversy over the Idaho flags, but over the months it has ended up becoming (almost suddenly) one of its main protagonists. To understand it, we must review the legislative debates around the new rule, in which Hill did not hesitate to explain why his party wants to restrict the use of the Basque flag. The problem has not been so much the veto itself, but rather its confusing (and thorny) argument. The Republican alleged that the ikurriña is not officially “recognized”, it is “a revolutionary flag”, he related it to ETA and even stated that it is “illegal” to fly it in Spain. “It would be crossing the line, and then the Palestinian flag would have to be allowed too,” Hill concluded. A few days ago, fellow Republican Bret Crane tried to tone downalthough without getting out of the puddle. During a public intervention he acknowledged that in the future some formula could be found that would allow the ikurriña to be hoisted, but he did not renounce the substance of the republican message. In fact, he asked his colleagues if they should also allow “Muslim or similar flags” that represent “people who have also had difficulties in Idaho.” What is the situation now? There are two fronts, the administrative and the political. In the first, the new rule (House Bill 561) continues to advance. On Tuesday the newspaper Idaho Capital Sun echoed how a group of opponents waved LGTBIQ+ flags in the Boise Capitol in the middle of the debate on the measure, which goes gradually overcoming its processing. Once completed, the prosecutor will be able to enforce the veto on unofficial flags and those who ignore it will risk a considerable fine: 2,000 dollars a day for every ‘wrong’ banner hung from a public building. “The right to wave it”. In the political field, the debate about flags has crossed the pond to reach this side of the Atlantic. The president of the PNV, Aitor Esteban, has … Read more

The housing crisis in the Pyrenees opens the debate on the limits of camping

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“I am a temporary worker and I come to work in the Tena Valley. The rents are 800 euros and I am not going to share a flat. I prefer to live in the van with my cat (…) I don’t understand why they focus on me when I don’t break the regulations.” The words are those of an indignant woman. One to which the Civil Guard demands movement when it understands that it is camping illegally. One that, if what is said in the video is true, is completely right and the regulations are on its side. What happened? The video is brought to X by a user of the social network and in it you see a woman who, between irony and indignation, explains that she works as a seasonal worker in the Tena Valley (Huesca), that she lives in her van and that the Civil Guard is asking her to leave because, supposedly, she is camping. The video shows the conversation between the woman and one of the agents. He defends that “it’s been going on for a month and a half now” and that “that can be considered camping.” She, for her part, alleges that she does not take any items outside and that she also moves, which the agent also acknowledges. “Rents are 800 euros”. In her video, the protagonist points out that the cost of housing is very high in the Tena Valley and that she does not want to share a flat. “I prefer to live in the van with my cat,” he emphasizes. The truth is that this enclave right next to the Pyrenees is very tense. In fact, it was only a few months ago that he was born. Decent Housing Viello Aragón in defense of access to housing in this Aragonese area. They point out that the area is full of tourists. The problem is not just a matter of underused second homes. The group points out that the European funds dedicated to sustainable tourism are causing the attraction of more and more visitors with the conversion into apartments and houses as rural complexes, which worsens the conflict. They defend that it should be stopped the delivery of new licenses for tourist use, they propose the creation of a public housing pool, declaring the region as a stressed area in order to control prices and punish the owners of more than four residential properties who have empty homes. The final objective is to facilitate access to housing and so that the economy can diversify so as not to live solely on tourism. Yes, the law is on your side (sort of). The truth is that if the author of the video complies with what she says, the law is on her side. As explained by the colleagues of Motorpassionthere are no regulations that specify a maximum time in which a person can spend the night in their car. Because camping in a place not authorized for it is illegal but spending the night is allowed. The PROT Instruction 2023/14 It is the one that collects these differences. It states that “parking is not camping” as long as: That the vehicle, with the engine stopped, is only in contact with the ground through the wheels (stabilizing legs or any other device is not used, except for chocks, provided for by the General Traffic Regulations). That the vehicle does not occupy more surface area than what it occupies when closed, that is, without the deployment of projectable elements, chairs, tables, etc., elements that can invade a surface larger than that delimited by the perimeter of the vehicle, understood as the plan projection of the same. That the vehicle does not emit any type of fluids or noises to the outside. One but. And then, the instruction also states the following: All of the above will be understood without prejudice to the powers of the town councils, through their municipal regulations, to limit or regulate, without discrimination based on the type of vehicle, the stopping and parking points under criteria of physical organization of traffic, commerce or environmental criteria, or with the purpose of favoring the arrival of this type of motorhome tourism, establishing for this purpose, parking zones or areas or, where appropriate, camping. Likewise, the regional regulations that have been approved or could be approved for the purpose of tourism promotion in the national territory will be taken into account. to promote a new type of accommodation that in any case will coexist with the full application of national legislation on traffic and road safety and especially the regulations relating to stopping and parking maneuvers. The matter here is a little more delicate because the video does not explain the situation regarding any of these concepts. What the instruction makes clear is that the City Council can delimit where a motorhome can park. In the images it appears that the van is located on the outskirts of a town but it is not clear whether or not the vehicle may be parked there, specifically. Without knowing the municipality, we also do not know if the town’s mobility ordinance imposes a maximum parking time. In the case of not wanting to park in the town, the situation is more delicate. In this case, regional regulations require you to spend the night in an area expressly authorized for this purpose since the Tena Valley is a protected environmental space. What do we get clear? In a municipality, a person can spend the night without any problem in their car or caravan as long as the vehicle is parked correctly and they do not take belongings and objects outside (from chairs to awnings). In that case, the driver is considered to be camping and this can only be done in an area authorized for this. Therefore, living inside a van and making life in it is not illegal as long as no noise or fluids are generated that are emitted to the outside. … Read more

In 2011 Japan closed the largest nuclear power plant on the planet. Now he has decided to reopen it in the midst of the energy debate

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The nuclear debate, which Japan thought closed, returns to the scene. The authorization of the governor of Niigata to reactivate Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the largest atomic plant in the world, has set off alarms: citizen distrust, the shadow of Fukushima and doubts about whether TEPCO is the right company to lead the country’s new energy stage are emerging. A new nuclear revival? The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, managed by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), has not produced a single kilowatt since 2012. The closure was a direct consequence of the 2011 tsunami and the three meltdowns from Fukushima Daiichia blow that left reactors with similar designs under suspicion. That technical coincidence was enough to keep its seven reactors on hold for more than ten years, despite the fact that the plant was essential for the electricity supply of northeastern Japan. According to Japan TimesHideyo Hanazumi has authorized a step-by-step reactivation that will start with reactor 6—one of the most recent and powerful—and that, later, will also include reactor 7. Altogether, the complex exceeds 8,000 MW of capacity, a figure that not only imposes: it maintains it as the largest nuclear facility on the planet. A significant change for the Japanese country. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has gone from a technical project to a strategic move. As reported by the Financial TimesTokyo trusts that its reactivation will contribute to lowering the electricity bill and ensuring energy sources with fewer emissions, at a time complicated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the fall of the yen, which makes fossil fuel imports more expensive. Japan, which before Fukushima generated almost 30% of its electricity with atomic plants, fell to practically zero after the disaster. Since then 14 reactors have reopened and others await local or regulatory approvals. The government aims for nuclear energy to once again represent 20% of the mix in 2040. In addition, TEPCO would improve its annual accounts by around 100 billion yen thanks to the restart, according to Japan Forwardat a time when it continues to face enormous costs for the dismantling of Fukushima Daiichi. The reactivation process. The restart will begin with unit 6, which already has fuel loaded and will begin commercial operations before March of next year. To move forward, TEPCO must respond to the Government’s demands, which include updating all security systems and improving emergency evacuation plans. The process has not been easy. As detailed by Japan Timesthe plant passed safety reviews in 2017, but then suffered a veto from the Nuclear Regulatory Authority due to deficiencies in anti-terrorist measures, lifted in 2023. In addition, TEPCO had to incorporate biometric controls and correct security flaws after new internal incidents. Is there controversy? Yes, and a lot. According to a survey cited by the BBC50% of Niigata residents support the revival, while 47% oppose it. However, almost 70% express their concern because the person operating the plant is the same company that caused the accident. From Japan Times He adds that the rejection intensifies in some of the towns located within 30 kilometers of the plant, where the majority fear a new disaster or distrust the company. Another source of discomfort, also pointed out by this medium, is that the electricity generated is not used in Niigata, but in the Tokyo region. The political dimension is equally tense. Hanazumi, aware of the sensitivity of her decision, has announced that he will submit his continuity as governor to the vote of the prefectural assembly, the only body that can remove him. But there is something else at play. The reopening of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is seen as a pillar to ensure the country’s energy security and avoid possible power outages in Tokyo. It would also allow reducing electricity rates that have increased notably since 2011. At the same time, Japan is not only restarting reactors: it is also is planning the construction of new plants with fourth generation reactors, which would mark a new chapter in the country’s energy policy. More than a return to the atom. The country that one day vowed not to depend on atomic energy again has ended up returning to it, driven by necessity, geopolitics and the urgency to decarbonize. It remains to be seen if this decision will also ignite the confidence of a citizenry that still carries the memory of Fukushima or if, on the contrary, the return to the atom will deepen a division that has been open for more than a decade. Although the governor’s approval is the decisive step, there are still procedures: the prefectural assembly must debate and vote on the decision in December, and the Japanese nuclear regulator must complete the formal procedures for reactivation. Image | IAEA Imagebank Xataka | In 2011, Japan promised itself not to bet on nuclear energy again. Until he met reality

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