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The Government is looking for someone to manage thousands of affordable homes. An unexpected candidate has emerged: Rental Insurance

January 14, 2026 by usatoday24

The State already has a ‘girlfriend’ for its affordable rental housing. Barely a month and a half after the SEPES put out to tender a contract to find companies interested in managing its public park of rental apartments, a large pool of 17,300 propertiesthe Ministry of Housing already knows of at least one interested firm. Of course, one that perhaps Isabel Rodríguez’s department did not have: Seguro Rent, the same company that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs wants to impose a fine of 3.6 million for violation of rights. Those responsible for the company they advance that they have all the requirements included in the tender and boast of their “experience and training.” Manager wanted. To understand the case we must go back to December 1, when the SEPES (shortly after converted into HOUSE47) launched a tender which probably whetted the appetite of more than one real estate agency. The contract in question amounted to a total of 55.4 million of euros (not including VAT) and was basically looking for companies interested in assuming for two years the “comprehensive management of the leasing of the public housing stock for affordable rentals.” In total, the tender covers 17,324 homes spread throughout the country, although to facilitate contracting it was divided into lots. Specifically, four were created for different regions, with between 1,600 and 5,700 houses. A name: Rental Insurance. The announcement was posted on the Public Sector Procurement Platform and companies had just over a month, until January 8, to present their offers. At the moment at least the name of one is known: Rental Insurancea firm dedicated to leasing management that boasts of having managed more than 75,000 contracts. Specifically, the company aspires to become with one of the four lots tendered by the State, the first, which covers 1,661 homes located in Galicia and Asturias. In exchange for its management, SEPES (now CASA47) offers about 6.5 million. The company of course defends its resume to win the contract. “Alquiler Seguro has the experience and training required to take charge of the comprehensive management of the rental fleet, as it has been doing for more than 19 years with the more than 28,000 contracts it currently manages throughout the country,” has claimed the signature itself on a note. Bragging about history. The company does not stop there. In addition to highlighting his experience managing house rentals (including public protection), he remembers the agreements and collaborations he has had with firms such as YourTECHÔ and First Hfocused on access to housing for vulnerable people. On its website the agency presume also from its office network, with more than 50 points spread throughout the country, and its portfolio of tens of thousands of properties. Why is it news? Because Rental Insurance not only stands out for its greater or lesser experience. Beyond the criticism that you have received from entities such as the Madrid Tenants Union, the OCU either FACUAthe company it was news recently for a proposed million-dollar fine. In December, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs imposed a fine of around 3.6 million euros on it for violating user rights and taking advantage of its position of strength in the market. At least in December, when the news brokethe resolution was not yet final and the company was advancing its intention to appeal. During the investigation he had already presented more than a dozen allegations. Questionable practices. In the file, advanced by Cadena SERdetailed practices that were at least controversial, such as forcing tenants to take out insurance, being responsible for charges for non-payments or claims or paying for a ‘Tenant Service Service’. Not only that. The file also details the obligation for the tenant to accept being included in a file of defaulters. Your practices already FACUA denounced them at the end of 2023. When SEPES launched its tender insisted in the profile of the company that is seeking to run the public affordable rental park: “Management will be carried out from social commitment and not only based on economic criteria. For this reason, one of the services that the successful bidder must provide consists of the prevention, detection and early attention of situations of risk of loss of housing.” Images | The Moncloa, Rental Insurance and FACUA In Xataka | The Great Rental Review is not going to be a joke for millions of Spaniards: more than 4,000 euros more per year

Now a new “rival” has emerged in Morocco

January 8, 2026 by usatoday24

Until a few days ago, the map of human evolution in Africa had a major “black hole” of knowledge. We had data that indicated that the Homo sappiens It emerged about 300,000 years ago thanks to the remains of Jebel Irhoud and we knew that our most distant ancestors ran around the continent a million years ago. But in the middle there was no information about it. A new study. To address this gap, an international team led by paleoanthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin has published in Nature a discovery that not only fills that void, but also It forces us to recalibrate when and how we begin to be “us.” They have finished putting the focus on a quarry in Casablanca (Morocco) where the remains of what could be our oldest direct ancestors have appeared. A treasure under the quarry. This site is not entirely new, but what has been revealed is. In the so-called Grotte à Hominidés Researchers have been able to find three jaws (two from an adult and one from a child), isolated teeth, vertebrae and a fragment of a femur. This femur the truth is that It has a macabre history behind it, since it has marks of hyena teeth, which suggests that these individuals were not buried, but rather were the feast of the predators that lived in this cave. But the interesting thing about these remains is undoubtedly in their morphology, which presents very primitive features, but, at the same time, their teeth and the structure of their jaw show “derived” features that already point directly towards the Homo sapiens. Technology behind the date. In paleoanthropology the difference between an “interesting find” and a “revolution” usually lies in the dating of the discovery. Something that today can be done with great precision thanks to the combination of geology with modern techniques. In this case, the researchers used the technique of magnetostratigraphy to analyze 180 sediment samples to identify the Brunhes-Matuyama transition. This transition in the sediments is fundamental, since it is a global event that occurred about 773,000 years ago, when the Earth’s magnetic field was invested (magnetic north became the current geographic north pole), and which is useful for dating sediment samples. Its dating. By finding the fossils right in this stratum that we have so well studied along with when it occurred, we can now set a date of 773,000 years with a margin of error of just 4,000 years for these fossils. And although 4,000 years may seem like a large margin of error, the reality is that in geological terms it is like telling the time in a very exact way (even with its seconds). The end of the reign of Atapuerca. For years, the Homo antecessor from Atapuerca (Spain) was proposed as the common ancestor of sapiens and Neanderthals, to make sense of this void. But this discovery completely changes the narrative we have on the table. Hublin’s study suggests that these Moroccan hominids are evolutionarily closer to us than the Homo antecessor. In this way, while the Spanish fossils seem like a lateral branch that adapted to the European environment, those from Casablanca would represent the main African lineage. Something that also fits with current genetic studies that place the divergence between modern humans and Neanderthals approximately 800,000 years ago. It doesn’t fit everyone. Like any great advance, this scientific article has raised a lot of dust in the sector, since not all experts are convinced that the origin is exclusively African. On the one hand, María Martinón-Torres, director of CENIEH, criticism The study ignores recent Asian fossils (such as those from Harbin or Hualongdong in China) that also show modern features at ancient dates. On the other hand, Antonio Rosas, from the CSIC, raises a reasonable doubt: If these fossils are close to the root of the common ancestor, why don’t they show traits that also point towards Neanderthals? What it means for the future. This discovery in Casablanca breaks the paradigm that the Homo sapiens It was a recent “invention” from 300,000 years ago. Instead, it suggests that it was a much longer, more complex and deeply rooted process in North Africa. What is happening right now is that Hubblin’s team is continuing to dig. With current dating technology and the possibility of finding more cranial fragments, the next step will be to try to extract ancient proteins from the teeth to confirm, through paleoproteomics, if the DNA confirms what already seems obvious: that the bones are older than we think. Images | Ibrahim Jonathan In Xataka | A museum kept bones for 20 years that they thought were rubble. Now we know that Mexico had its own T-Rex

The Alhambra and its environment are a jewel of world heritage. Now a threat has emerged: solar panels

October 8, 2025 by usatoday24

For decades Granada can boast of having a world category jewel, the set formed by the Alhambra, Generalife and Albaicín, registered all three in The list Unesco World Heritage. Now the city sees how clouds loom About them. And for an unexpected azón: a photovoltaic plant that, according to icomos (An organism associated with UNESCO) threatens the environment. In fact advises “Slighted” that is paralyzed. What happened? That Icomos (The International Council of Monuments and Sites) has just yielded a jug of cold water on a project that It has been weating for some time Granada local policy: a photovoltaic plant of something more than three hectares that will be built in The Farguea neighborhood of Granada. What Icomos said is that, if carried out, the installation will negatively affect the Alhambra, the Generalife and the Albaicín neighborhood, three Historical jewels included for years in the Unesco World Heritage list. Beyond its content and arguments, the warning is important because Icomos is not any entity. The Council is associated with UNESCO and is dedicated precisely to ensure the “Protection and value” of heritage. Its report also includes some ears to the Spanish authorities and has served to enliven (even more) the debate that For months surrounds a plant that has encountered the opposition of politicians, neighbors and Ecologists. What would the installation be like? The plant is called San Gregorio I and, As needed The countryI would occupy about three hectares to produce 4.95 MW. It is actually part of a broader project that includes two others facilities, stadium plus i and sotoscuro i, of a size more or less similar. The key is where it is projected: The Fargue (Alquería del Fargue), an area of Granada located in the district of Albaicín. In June the PSOE proposed In full paralyzing the macroplanta to “protect the landscape and cultural heritage of the city”, especially the surroundings of the Alhambra and the Darro valley, considered a good of cultural interest (BIC) Since 2024. It is not the only one. Neighbors and Ecologists in Action also mislead the impact that the project would have in the area. What has Icomos said? That criticisms are more than founded. In your report the agency concludes that the photovoltaic plant entails “a very high risk of negative impact” for the surroundings of the Alhambra, the Generalife and the Albaicín, a set including on the UNESCO heritage list. Hence, their authors “strongly advise the stoppage of the planned actions” and give a small touch of attention to the Spanish authorities, to which they warn that they must be “much more vigilant and careful” in the face of projects that affect the protected heritage. How would the plant affect? It depends on what we are talking about exactly. The effect would not be the same in all cases. If we focus on the Alhambra, Generalife and Albaicín the problem is the visual impact. “The Alhambra is more than the fortified monumental complex. The Alhambra territory includes the general’s past Point out in The country José Castillo Ruiz, professor at the University of Granada (UGR). Is it so serious? “The visual impact of an industrial element like this goes much further than a simple discordant element (…). They seriously alter the heritage values of the Alhambra as a historical set, monument and world heritage,” insists The expert, who warns of the loss of centenary olive trees or the alteration of the environment, breaking “continuity” between the Alhambra, the city of Granada, the Valley and the rest of the environment. If we speak specifically of the Valle del Darro the report, in fact warns of a clear environmental impact. Things are very different for project promoters, which They assure that the final affectation will be “minimal” and already contemplate incorporating “corrective measures.” Does it say anything else? Yes. The report remember That San Gregorio I is only one of the three photovoltaic plants that you want to boost in the area, so it slides that its promoter seeks avoid An environmental impact statement (DIA). In total the three photovoltaic plants will approach (although staying below) of the ten hectares that would require activating that procedure. As for processing, icomos insists in which it does not arrive with opening a public exposure process “without effective advertising”. The ideal is to find a way to guarantee “a public participation” during the process, a “real nature”. Why is it important? The controversy around the plant It is not new. A months ago environmentalists and neighbors They already warned of their impact on the territory, the olive groves and holm oaks, biodiversity and even spoke of “disorder and speculation.” The Icomos report is relevant because it has fueled the debate and oxygen to critics, For whom The document “Raises Project death certificate”. Right now its promoters They are pending of construction permits (in which the City Council plays a key role) and the resolution of allegations. Their critics rely on the ICOMOS document for claim That the Alhambra Board or the rest of the institutions move token, which goes even to transfer their complaints to UNESCO itself. Images | Wikipedia (Jebulon) and Sharon Mollerus (Flickr) In Xataka | Mediterranean countries seemed ideal for solar panels. Until the dust storms arrived

For some reason, evolution does not stop creating antiques. 12 times different around the world has emerged

August 1, 2025 by usatoday24

Like the Chavo del Ocho when he did for the umpteenth time the joke to continue criticizing Professor Jirafales once the others had silenced, nature can have somewhat repetitive scripts. The point is that they work. Trend to eat ants and termites. It doesn’t matter if we are in America, Africa or Asia. Again and again, throughout the history of the earth, different mammalian lineages have reached the same evolutionary conclusion, developing a similar body plan to exploit one of the most abundant banquets on the planet. A recent study Posted in Evolution magazine It reveals that the specialization in eating ants and termites (a feature known as Mirmecophage) has emerged independently at least 12 times different since the extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Convergent evolution. When we think of an anthill, the iconic elongated snout animal of the Americas comes to mind. But the anthill is not alone. Pangolines and Aardvarks, who inhabit Africa and Asia, are distant relatives who have developed a surprisingly similar tools kit. Adaptations include long and sticky tongues, a reduced or non -existent teeth and powerful front legs armed with claws to dig in insect nests. This phenomenon, in which unrelated species They develop similar features To adapt to similar conditions, it is known as convergent evolution. The same strange design. “The specializations associated with Mirmecophage are among the strangest and most fascinating mammals,” says Laura Wilson, an evolutionary biologist, In Science magazine. “This study illuminates our understanding when, and how many times, these fascinating characteristics evolved and under what conditions.” To reach these conclusions, the also biologist Thomas Vida and his team collected and analyzed data on the diet of almost 4,100 species of mammals, mapping their eating habits in the great evolutionary tree. The resulting model left no doubt: the evolution has taken the path of mirmecophagy over and over again, and has done so in the three large branches of mammals, including marsupials and monretrems, which put eggs. The postdinosaurs world. There are several crustaceans that have evolved towards a body shape similar to that of a crab. This phenomenon has occurred at least five times, but over several hundred million years. Mirmecophagous mammals, on the other hand, have done it 12 times in just 66 million years. “For some reason, things continue to evolve until they become hormigueros,” says the author of the study. Why this rise of ants dining rooms just after the disappearance of dinosaurs? The answer, according to researchers, is in the history of social insects. After the great extinction of the Cretaceous-Paleogen, the ants and the termites experienced a demographic explosion. His presence in the fossil registry shot, and his biomass became an abundant ecological resource. A road without return. The study also reveals another fascinating fact: once a mammalian lineage specializes in eating ants and termites, it seems that there is no turning back. The researchers only found a reversal case: the musarañas elephant of short ears. Their ancestors were probably fed on ants and termites more than 13 million years ago, but today, these southern Africa creatures have a mixed diet that includes other insects and plant matter. This evolutionary dead end is probably due to the stability and abundance of the food source, or the difficulty of recovering the features of a generalist once the body has adapted to such a specific diet. The story, therefore, tells us that while there are ants and termites in abundance, the evolution will continue to threaten more mammals into relentless devouring machines of colonies. Image | Claudio Olivares Medina (CC BY-DC -nd 2.0) In Xataka | “This is not a penguin.”

For some reason, evolution does not stop creating antiques. 12 times different around the world has emerged

August 1, 2025 by usatoday24

We have our attention so broken that a buoyant industry has emerged: keyboards “without distractions”

July 6, 2025 by usatoday24

In 2024 more than 90,000 books. It is estimated that in the United States the figure was much greater and reached three millionincluding self -published books. Those numbers make something very clear: The world has been filled with writers. Those who write do so in addition to many ways. The traditional typewriter has practically disappeared to give way to the computer, and the versatility of this technological product has made the experience more personal than ever. The blank folio, but on the screen Thus, while some write on the desktop computer, others do it in the laptop, but in that experience they import the details, such as the type of keyboard used – with the popular ones Mechanical keyboardsfor example – or, of course, the application that each one uses to write. The famous case of George Rr Martin with The mythical and very old Wordstar It is almost anecdotal, because there are currently many more modern rivals. Microsoft Word is the obvious option, but the rivals have pressed remarkably in this sector. Thus, a huge amount of applications and services designed for writers have appeared such as Scrivener, Ulysses, iawriter, Manuskripteither Ghostwriter. In many cases one of the foci of these applications was not just to help the writer in areas such as the structure of the novel or the organization of the characters and the plot. They also usually have a mode without distractions, which usually manifest with the digital version of the blank folio: the totally empty interface, without tool or menus bars. Only a cursor flashing and waiting for us. Welcome to keyboards without distractions These software applications are also accompanied by some hardware devices specifically written oriented. They are a modern version of traditional writing machines: products totally thought to do one thing and only one: write. Freewrite Traveler. These “keyboards without distractions“They usually integrate small screens in which the text we are writing is showing, but there is nothing more than we can do with them. They have internet connectivity, but only with the aim of being able to synchronize those texts with the cloud to save them. Nothing of web browsers, no social networks, nothing of (is supposed to) distractions. All of them try to create a” concentration bubble “so that whoever writes is centered exclusively on it. The clear reference in this segment is Freewriteof the Astrohaus company, which manufactures several keyboards without distractions with that proposal. In them we normally have: Internet connectivity Small but sufficient flash memory to store several manuscripts Internal battery Screen: Normally of electronic ink, but also LCD This electronic ink screen of several models makes it more comfortable to have long writing sessions and contributes to the autonomy of the battery being lasting. The most remarkable alternative to Freewrite machines is Pomberaof the Japanese company King Jim, which has launched some of its smodels on collective financing platforms such as Indiegogo. Pomra DM250US It is, of course, devices with a high price for how specific they are. Here it is likely that the limited production lots will ensure these products, but still Your price/benefits ratio is not remarkable. Freewrite Traveler, for example, has a price of 603.95 euros In the official Freewrite store. Pomera’s recent rival – with LCD screen – has an official price of $ 449, almost 400 euros. In Xataka we have contacted three users of these devices: two of them English -speaking, and a young Spanish. All of them have bought and used at least one of these types of keyboards without distractions or some similar alternative, and have had the kind of sharing the experience with us. Looking for digital substitute to the notebook and the ball ILIA EPIFANOV, writer and editorhe has published more than 30 works, among which are short stories, books and even comics. When he decided to buy one of these devices, he tells us, “I was looking for a compact machine and allowed me to write without distractions.” Discovered the Freewrite devices“But the price seemed high, and I also looked for something more portable. Ended up deciding on the Nokia E7a smartphone launched in 2011 that had a drop -down physical keyboard under the housing. “It is small, well done and causes nostalgia,” he said, “although it certainly has its limitations.” He admits that he would not recommend it to most people, especially since the keyboard is not suitable for use for long periods of time. But for this user one of the keys to this old device is that it is old and most of its applications are useless today. That makes it focus only as a keyboard without distractions, because as he says “I love its simplicity: you display the keyboard and simply write.” Carl Dikington “Pseudonym that.” Use in Reddit Our second guest – is an autonomous worker who writes both professionally and for hobby. He also began looking for alternatives to write without distractions, and began by the cheapest and less technological: a notebook and a ball. He soon realized that did not seem practical, and after looking for devices of this type, he opted for the Freewrite Traveler, who chose for his portability but that “if I am honest, I chose in front of others for aesthetic reasons. I simply liked her appearance, and I thought that if I was going to spend a good part of the day looking at him, I wanted me to like her design.” This type of products “do not magic,” he confessed. “You still need to force yourself to sit and write, and that will always be a complex task. And that is the real problem. We let computers distract us because we want to avoid the difficulty of writing. Eliminating those distractions does not eliminate the desire to be distracted, and the world has a lot of additional distraction sources to which we can submit.” It is an important reflection, and reveals the reality of some devices that of course avoid the distractions … Read more

China has emerged a new problem with its rare earths: smuggling

June 5, 2025 by usatoday24

China is deploying police, customs agents and even spies to stop the smuggling of its increasingly precious Rare earthcritical minerals on which it maintains an official embargo. Why is it important. The Asian giant The world production of these materials is obsessively controllingessential for the car, technological and military industry. Its new anti -policy campaign aggravates even more the shortage that US and European companies are already suffering, who are not finding short -term alternatives. The context. China cut legal exports of seven types of rare earths –and magnets manufactured with them– last April 4. The measure is part of a pressure strategy for the United States to reduce tariffs on Chinese products and allow the sale of sensitive military technology to China. Yes, but. Smuggling had historically been an escape valve. Chinese organized crime unions came to traffic half of the country’s annual production before 2010. Multinationals such as Boeing, Volkswagen and Toyota depended on supply chains where legal and illegal production was mixed, according to a report from The New York Times. Between bambalins. Senior customs, trade, police and intelligence services met on May 9 to Plan the offensive. Three days later, representatives of eleven national ministries and seven provinces issued a joint statement: the control of strategic mineral exports is “related to national security.” In detail. The new license system demands thorough documentation. Complete traceability. Chinese companies have to certify not only who buys the material, but how it will be used at each subsequent stage of production, including photographs of final products. This information, in addition to avoiding smuggling, can also become a detailed map of the use of rare earths abroad for the Chinese government. And that would facilitate future attacks directed against specific companies and countries: they will know who will produce what. The facts. Traditional smuggling routes have been complicated: With the scarcity getting worse outside China and prices shooting, the potential benefits for smugglers willing to assume the risk are enormous. But new security measures make the game more and more dangerous. Outstanding image | Lio voo In Xataka | China has executed three master moves to break the technological dependence of the West. The sanctions were his best gift

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