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Airbnb will allow US users to book stays without paying up front

Airbnb has launched a new feature called “Reserve Now, Pay Later” that lets users in the U.S. reserve a property without paying up front, potentially allowing people to cancel their bookings with less hassle if their plans change.

The feature is applicable to properties that have a “flexible” or “moderate” cancellation policy. Flexible policies let users cancel their reservation up to 24 hours before they check in, while moderate policies allow for no-fee cancellations until five days before check-in.

Users will need to pay the full amount for their booking before the listing’s free cancellation period ends. Airbnb will send users a reminder to pay before that date.Image Credits:Airbnb

The company is not new to the buy now, pay later arena. In 2018, it launched a “Pay part now, part later” product that allowed users to pay either 20% or 50% in the first tranche and the rest later. In 2023, the company teamed up with Klarna to let users pay for their stays in four installments over six weeks.

Citing a survey it conducted with Focaldata, Airbnb said 55% of those surveyed preferred a flexible payment option while booking a stay, with 42% saying they missed out on properties while trying to figure out payment logistics with other travelers.

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2025-09-27
$Join Melbourne\’s Thrilling Adult Sports: Softball & Kickball Leagues – Register Today!$

Join Melbourne\’s Thrilling Adult Sports: Softball & Kickball Leagues – Register Today!
register at the Eau Gallie Civic Center

$Join Melbourne\’s Thrilling Adult Sports: Softball & Kickball Leagues – Register Today!$

Adult Athletic Leagues in Melbourne – Where Fun Meets Competition

Softball Love‑Letters
- Where: Southwest Park – 401 West Florida Ave, Melbourne
- Register at: Eau Gallie Civic Center – 1551 Highland Ave
- Want a squad? Call 321‑608‑7400 to jump on the free‑agent list
Men’s League (High‑Energy Monday Mania)
- Monday mornings, adrenaline‑packed
- Check the Monday Men’s Schedule (on site)
Tuesdays – Rec League (Just‑Fun, Medium‑Intensity)
- Players with a splash of skill and love for the game
- Both men and women welcome – no one ranked above Men’s E tours with USSSA allowed in the evening
- Eligibility checked via a quick USSSA browse
- Set up: extra home plate, women’s balls, a co‑ed line for all batters, and strike mats behind home plate
- Calendar: 14 games over 7 weeks + a double‑elimination finale
- Schedule buzz: “Tap to see Tuesday Rec League Schedule” (located on the official page)
Wednesday – Corporate Schedule
- Corporate teams? Perfect match for a Thursday night of teamwork
Thursday – Co‑Ed Softball League (Medium Challenge)
- Softball squad for those who like a dash of competition
- “View Thursday Co‑Ed Schedule” on the league hub
Friday – Rec League (Low‑Medium Competitiveness)
- Mirrors Tuesday’s rules
- “Explore Friday Rec League Schedule” on the site
Softball Fees
- Team Fee: $425 – cash, check, or charge acceptable. Checks payable to the City of Melbourne.
- Deposit of $212 on registration, balance due by the final day.
- No refunds after the deadline.
- Start dates still tentative – stay tuned.
Kickball – All‑Day Fun at Fee Avenue Park
- Location: 1609 Babcock St, Melbourne
- Register: Eau Gallie Civic Center – 1551 Highland Ave
- Kickball Schedule: Thursday, 10 games + a single elimination showdown.
Kickball Fees
- Team Fee: $300 – cash, check, or card. Checks go to the City of Melbourne.
- Deposit of $150 by the last registration day.
- Need details? Call 321‑608‑7400 or hit the activity calendar online.
Space Coast Daily News: Fresh Print, Fresh Stories

It’s the day the Space Coast Daily News drops the latest edition, and the whole Brevard County is buzzing. Whether you’re a launch pad enthusiast, a beach lover, or just someone who likes a good coffee with their headlines, this issue is packed with fresh takes, quirky commentary, and that familiar mix of community spirit you’ve come to love.

What Makes It “Brevard’s Best”?
- Local beats that matter: From the newest rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center to the surprising rise of pumpkin spice lattes at the local coffee shop, every headline feels like it’s coming from your neighbor’s inbox.
- Human stories with heart: We shine a spotlight on the lifeguards who save the day—or the craftsman who builds the most resilient surfboard in town.
- Humor on tap: A regular humorous column that turns awkward moments (like that unexpected rain during a picnic) into laughable memories.
- Live coverage: Real-time updates, Instagramed photos, and live tweets that sync perfectly with the print edition.
Hot Off the Press Highlights
- Launch Ready: The latest Saturn is set for a “silent launch,” sparking excitement and mild anxiety across the county.
- Beach Life: Why the sunrise at Onslow Creek is the new Instagram trend—and why the tide’s a living meme.
- Education Spotlight: The new elementary school’s innovative planetarium project is already turning young minds toward the stars.
- Sweet Treats: A bake-off challenger promises to bring a cookie flavor nobody has thought of—courtesy of the local donut shop.
- Green Projects: A community garden starts with seed suppliers, planners, and a big splash of laughter.
Why You’ll Love Reading It

If you’re tired of digital feeds that blur the edges of content, the Space Coast Daily News offers that tactile satisfaction—an unfiltered print universe of words that you can hold, flip, and share around the coffee table. And if you like mixing news with a dash of humor, you’ll notice our cheeky column will keep you chuckling while you learn something new.

So, grab a copy at the local store or snag it online, and let the Space Coast Daily News remind you that community news can be as lively and as uplifting as a rocket launch. Which means tapping into the newest edition isn’t just about reading—it’s about living that local story, feeling the pulse of Brevard County, and maybe – if you’re lucky – catching a meteor shower while sipping your coffee.

Keep an eye on the horizon, because the next issue is coming sooner than you think.
2025-09-21
Wary Of Gasoline Shortage, California Pauses Price-Gouging Penalty On Oil Companies

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times,

California regulators fearing a dramatic drop in gasoline supply placed a five-year pause on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s penalty on oil industry profits Aug. 29.

The decision is a blow to Newsom’s legislation aimed at penalizing the oil industry for allegedly driving up the state’s gas prices in 2022.

California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda said the state must shield motorists from price spikes at the pump even as it tries to transition to clean-energy fuel sources for transportation.

The commission says the pause on its penalty program was needed to further study the industry.

“We believe this additional time will increase industry confidence enough to secure investments in refinery maintenance and is therefore a prudent way to ensure employee safety and maintain a safe, reliable, affordable supply of fuel during this critical point in the transition to a carbon-free transportation system,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email Sept. 2.

California drivers continue to pay the nation’s highest prices at the pump, with the cost exceeding the national average by more than a dollar per gallon, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

Fuel demand in the state has slowly dwindled since 2019 as more Californians switch to electric vehicles, but the decrease in demand is not fast enough to keep up with even sharper drops in the state’s fuel supply as refineries continue to leave.

The state would need to increase overseas crude imports, possibly creating serious delays in fuel for consumers, which is what prompted staff to propose the regulatory pause, reported Drew Bohan, the energy commission’s executive director.

The agency also hasn’t been able to prove Newsom’s claim that the oil industry was gouging.

“The data at this point is just not sufficient to indicate that there’s ongoing market manipulation, or a structural failure, that would justify immediate regulatory intervention,” Bohan said.

The decision sparked criticism from Consumer Watchdog, a California-based nonprofit that supported Newsom’s price-gouging law in 2023.

“Gov. Newsom and the Energy Commission have abdicated their responsibility to protect consumers from price gouging,” the group’s president, Jamie Court, said in a statement. “By taking away the hammer of a penalty, the administration will leave consumers vulnerable to the same price spikes and profit spikes that struck in 2022. Gov. Newsom will be as much to blame as the oil refiners for the next price spikes because he left this job unfinished.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in the rotunda of the Capitol in Sacramento on March 28, 2023. Courtesy of the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

The group also believes Newsom’s administration is “tying the hands” of the next governor by imposing the five-year freeze.

Western States Petroleum Association, a trade group advocating for the oil industry, said the commission’s five-year pause was a step in the right direction, but it fell short of the group’s recommendations.

“While today’s action by the CEC stopped short of a full statutory repeal or a 20-year pause, it represents a needed step to provide some certainty for California’s fuels market,” association President Catherine Reheis-Boyd said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times.

According to Reheis-Boyd, the decision showed the energy commission understood how the policy would have impacted future investment in the state’s refineries.

Vehicles pass a gas station in Rosemead, Calif., on Sept. 23, 2024. Frederic J. Brown/AFP

Newsom and Democratic state legislators suspended regular operating rules to rush through the regulations in less than a week in 2023. Those regulations put in place extensive oversight and new reporting regulations for oil companies, and gave the energy commission the authority to issue fines and penalties for excessive profits.

Upon signing the law, Newsom said they proved they could “beat big oil.”

The commission has not approved penalties since the regulations passed.

The commission’s move last week followed months of handwringing by California lawmakers after a second major oil refinery—Texas-based Valero Energy Corp.—announced in April its departure from the state.

Houston-based oil giant Phillips 66 announced last October that it plans to close one of the company’s two Southern California refineries at the end of 2025.

A tank at the Valero Wilmington Oil Refinery adjacent to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles on April 10, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP

The closures mean a loss of 17 percent of California’s refining capacity—a huge loss for a state that is mostly cut off from the rest of the nation’s fuel supplies and must import oil from overseas.

The refinery closures will leave more than 20 million gas-fueled vehicles in California with only seven refineries to produce specialized blends required by state regulations.

Beyond the penalty pause, Newsom’s administration is also proposing to temporarily streamline approvals of new wells in existing oil fields in an effort to maintain a stable fuel supply.

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2025-09-19
$DOJ Deploys Grand Jury to Probe Letitia James\’ Trump Prosecution$

DOJ Deploys Grand Jury to Probe Letitia James\’ Trump Prosecution
Justice Department Opens Two Fresh Investigations into NY AG Letitia James

Why the Scrutiny?

The U.S. Justice Department has taken a sharp turn toward the New York Attorney General, Letitia James, accusing her and her office of targeting political opponents with malicious intent. Two separate probes are now underway to dig into these claims.

What These Investigations Cover
- Potential misuse of publicly funded resources to nuke rivals.
- Allegations that state offices were used as pawn‑shops for political sabotage.
- Suspected overreach of legal powers to serve partisan agendas.
Key Allegations Summarized

According to the DOJ claims:
- The AG’s office may have engaged in “espionage” against political adversaries.
- Evidence points to a systematic campaign aimed at crippling opponents before upcoming elections.
- There is a question about whether the actions were lawful under state and federal statutes.
What’s Next?

The investigations will involve:
- Collecting documents, emails, and witness testimonies.
- Potential subpoenas issued to major consulting firms tied to the AG’s office.
- Possible hearings before federal judges if the evidence warrants it.
It’s a developing story, so keep an eye out for official DOJ releases and court filings. Whether these probes hold water remains to be seen, but the entire political scene will be watching closely.

Attorney in Albany Fires Two Subpoenas, Sparks Cookery of Legal Fire

What’s the Beef?

Yo, hold onto your hats: the U.S. attorney in Albany, Daniel Hanlon, dropped two subpoenas for James. The first one is the “office‑side civil fraud” case vs. President Trump, while the second is all about shredding the NRA. The Justice Department is already saying this might wound Trump’s constitutional rights.

Joe Biden’s Office vs. Trump’s Freedom
- “Mayor of New York Court” James is accused of launching a war on Trump because “she didn’t like him.”
- The DOJ claims she violated Trump’s First Amendment and got him to lose his free‑speech shield.
- She even sent a subpoena to the NRA because the AG Pam Bondi gave the green light.
The Dollar Drama

What in the world happened with the $454 million bond? Judge Engoron slapped Trump with a jaw‑breaker that made a New York judge think he was laughing at a joke. A law professor from GJW, Jonathan Turley, called that “completely off the mark.” The courts later reduced it to $175 million and Trump paid it in March 2024.

Trump’s Reaction on Truth Social

Trump hit back: “He’s a nut who made up numbers.” He warned businesses “won’t even want to be in New York” because of the decision. He blamed it on Joe Biden and a White House “election interference” maneuver. But the lawyer still stands: “We’re not dropping the case, presidents aren’t protected in civil suits.

Legal Beef from the GOP Side
- Mike Davis, a Trump‑linked GOP lawyer, threatened that if James keeps fighting, she might end up in prison.
- He said, “I dare you to keep law‑busting Trump in his second term.”
- He warned that any violation of constitutional rights would be punished.
Other Legal Showdowns

In 2025, some big stakes were thrown onto the table:
- In March, Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence) revoked James’s clearance among other Democrat officials, accusing them of slinging DOJ power for partisan gain.
- The DOJ opened a criminal investigation on mortgage fraud involving James’s properties in Norfolk and Brooklyn.
- She got a special prosecutor, Ed Martin, to dig into the case and a grand jury in Virginia will take the mortgage fraud. Meanwhile, a Maryland grand jury will sniff out allegations against Senator Adam Schiff.
Defense Voices

James’ lawyer Abbe Lowell called the latest probe a “bottom‑line example of presidential retaliation.” He warned: “Using DOJ to punish an elected office is a glitch in the system.” Also, Geoff Burgan, the spokesperson, declared, “We stay fierce with the NRA fight and keep protecting New Yorkers.”

Academia Says, “Make It Work.”

Law professor Turley posted on X: “I doubt the prosecution will hold without shocking evidence from the grand jury. Even if the court misread it, James had the upper hand in the balance.”

Final Word

The latest allegations come from a DOJ “strike force” that originally looked at tying Trump to Russia in 2016 but has now broadened its scope. Whether this investigation will bite remains to be seen, but the drama is only getting hotter. Stay tuned for the next season of legal theater in Albany.
2025-09-11
Could electric aeroplanes be the future of flight? Watch Denmark’s first test flight

The plane can be charged using a standard fast charger for electric cars in just 20 to 40 minutes, according to its developers. Experts say airports will need to gradually expand charging infrastructures for electric aircraft.

ADVERTISEMENT

A small aeroplane cruising toward Copenhagen may have looked ordinary to most Danes on the ground – but unlike every other flight in Danish history, this aircraft was all electric.
The US aerospace company Beta Technologies’ electric plane, ALIA CTOL, completed a 200 kilometre journey between Sønderborg and Copenhagen airports this week, marking Denmark’s first test flight with an aircraft that burns no fuel and can be charged in less than an hour.

The company says the fixed-wing electric aeroplane provides a safe, quiet, and low-cost alternative to traditional aircraft and helicopters.
With its wingspan of 15 metres, ALIA CTOL is the size of a Sprinter van. It can fly at a maximum speed of 281 kilometres per hour, according to Beta Technologies.

Related

Is this electric passenger plane the future of fossil-free flying?

The aeroplane also emits up to 84 per cent less carbon dioxide than a traditional helicopter of a similar size.
“Many say that green aviation is something for the future,” Jákup Sverri Kass, director of Sønderborg Airport, said at the take-off event in the city 325 kilometres west of Copenhagen.

“But we are standing here today and seeing that the future has begun. This is not just a test. This is the start of something new,” he added.Visitors sitting in the cockpit of the electric aeroplane ‘ALIA CTOL’.
Roselyne/Euronews

The American aeroplane kicked off a European grand tour in May from Shannon Airport in Ireland. It has since dropped by multiple airports on the continent to demonstrate the aircraft’s all-electric operation and charging infrastructure.
In August, the plane will begin operating cargo flights between Bergen and Stavanger in Norway as part of tests on zero-emission aviation led by the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority.

Charging is the main challenge

ALIA CTOL is designed for regional flight and can be configured for both passenger and cargo travel with up to five passenger seats.
Beta Technologies says the longest distance the aircraft has flown on a single charge is 622 kilometres.
The plane can be charged using a standard fast charger for electric cars in just 20 to 40 minutes, the company says.
The short-range aeroplane has been carrying its own charger and plugging it into a power unit at airports, which takes longer, due to the lack of permanent charging facilities. It has been making pit stops to charge at airports across Europe.The short-range aeroplane is carrying its own charger and plugging it into a power unit at airports, which takes longer, due to the lack of permanent charging facilities.
Roselyne/Euronews

“There’s no existing infrastructure on the ground in Europe like there is in the United States today,” Shawn Hall, the company’s chief revenue officer, said from the tarmac at Copenhagen Airport after the plane landed.
In Denmark, Copenhagen Airport CEO Christian Poulsen told Euronews Next the airport will need to adapt its infrastructure to be able to charge aircraft and accommodate a mix of traditional and electric aeroplanes “when these aircraft come to town”.

“But just like with electric cars, it’s important to be ready when things take off. Because when the technology matures, things will move fast,”

Jørgen Mads Clausen, Chair emeritus of Danfoss

The cost of batteries and other lightweight materials will be another factor for electric aeroplane manufacturers to contend with, according to Jørgen Mads Clausen, chair emeritus of the Danish technology giant Danfoss.
He predicts “battery technology” for larger electric planes will be available within the next decade.
“But just like with electric cars, it’s important to be ready when things take off. Because when the technology matures, things will move fast,” Clausen said at the take-off event.

Sustainable aviation in Europe

The Danish government has committed to launching its first fully sustainable domestic flight route by 2025, with a broader target that all domestic routes will be fossil-free by 2030.
This year, it has introduced a flat fee of 13 Danish kroner (€1.74) per passenger to finance the transition toward sustainable domestic flight.
Several Nordic countries have committed to climate goals for their aviation industries.
In Norway, all domestic flights aim to be electric or hybrid by 2040, while in Sweden, all domestic flights should be fossil-free by 2030 and international flights are expected to follow by 2045.
A Swedish-American company, Heart Aerospace, is developing a 30-passenger plane, the ES-30, designed to have a fully battery-powered range of 200 kilometres.
Other countries in Europe, such as the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom, have also tested similar-sized e-planes.

Related

What will travelling through an airport be like in the year 2100?

But currently electric planes can, at best, fly regionally within Europe because of their battery range, which means other technologies to reduce flight emissions could also help countries meet their sustainability targets.
Lasse Stenhøj Ingvardsen, a team manager of Renewable Energy Systems at the Danish Technological Institute, told Euronews Next that different technologies can be explored for sustainable aviation.
Many European countries are investing in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a type of fuel made from renewable resources, as well as hydrogen fuel, which doesn’t emit carbon dioxide.
“The SAF fuel will be one tool. The electric will be another tool. The hybrid solution will be a third tool. Maybe we will see hydrogen planes,” said Ingvardsen, who was not involved with the recent test flight.
“We don’t need to stick to only one”.
For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.

2025-09-05
To What Extent Can the Myers Cocktail Help You?
As it is an undisputed fact that health is the most precious thing a human being can ever have, therefore, it is essential to remain healthy and maintain a certain level of health for a lasting impact on the quality of life. In this context, many ways are employed on a regular basis such as intake of supplements, fresh food, and IV drips for sustained mental and physical health and activeness. Thus, keeping this in view, this article will highlight the importance of the professionally applied Myers cocktail.

IV drips are always helpful when it comes to a certain medical requirement in which the patients are too weak to be given oral or intramuscular doses of vitamins and mineral supplements. In cases of a weak stomach and a sensitive gut system, doctors prefer to give an IV drip to the patient instead of the traditional methods of intake.

In London, the Myers cocktail IV drip formulas are much popular as they are considered the most hassle-free way of acquiring heavy doses of essential minerals and vitamins. This formula is, generally speaking, a popular method among complementary and alternative medicine providers, in which high doses of vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and minerals (magnesium and calcium) are mixed with sterile water. With this method, a normal person with a weak stomach or other sensitivity issues of the gut can consume higher doses of nutrients in a short time. This method is also painless and quick with lasting benefits.

However, there is always a question in a person’s mind when they are opting for IV drip therapy for the first time. They ask the experts about its benefits and more importantly, its effect and duration of impact. For this, one must know the benefits of IV therapy and why it is more beneficial than the other traditional methods.

First, IV drips put just the right amount of nutrients and blend them in the drip in a perfect way. This means that a person need not worry about the right amount or proportions of the nutrients being infused in them.

Second, the IV drip method increases the concentration of the vitamins and minerals in the blood which results in higher levels of nutrients benefits as compared to what natural food might provide. Thus, instead of having to eat a huge portion of fruits and vegetables, one can simply intake an even higher number of nutrients without making them pass through one’s gut.

Third, IV drips are the best options for the ones who are always on the go. In this sense, athletes, fitness freaks, people from entertainment industry, and healthy-diet-conscious people prefer this option over any other method. This readily provides them with high levels of nutrients and energy in a minimum amount of time, with the least hassle and effort.

Finally, the Myers cocktail method is best chosen as an instant treatment for mental and physical problems that arise from a lack of nutrients in the body. Common issues like lethargy, poor bone health, depression, anxiety, muscular pain, and overall slowed growth can be tackled through regular IV therapy sessions. This method is incorporated into a person’s life as a long-term treatment plan for sudden and chronic conditions.

If one is to enlist the top three benefits of the IV drip therapies, then they will be:
- Best for chronic conditions and prolonged poor health reversal
- Best for restoring depleted vitamins levels with minimum hassle, pain, and inconvenience
- Best for promoting better long-term health among young adults and old-age people alike
Although surprisingly, Myers drip infusions were introduced as a celebrity choice as they neither have time for prolonged treatments nor can they afford to be sick. Thus, they popularized this method and now the general public prefers it too, you can find more info.

This method is also best for fighting depression and stress as this therapy helps in revitalizing one’s senses and organs through nutrients. These nutrients balance the hormones which create emotional and physical balance in the body. Thus, all the depressive thoughts that arise from a lack of “happiness hormones”, disappear.

The Myers cocktail is by far the most popular and preferred method of re-energizing one’s body and uplifting mental power. This method is hassle-free and can be used by a person of any age. Thus, one must go for a regular IV therapy session rather than intaking high doses of indigestible medicines.
2025-08-29
PR advice: Seeding a story is equally important to news reaction

The equal and opposite action of reacting to trending news and then coat tail riding the story of the day with your expert opinions – is the seeded or placed story. This is where you set your own news agenda in the form of a bespoke narrative.

News reaction through parasitic means and its opposite, News procreation, really do work together in harmony to steadily build and maintain media profile.
They go together like a hand in a glove. Or a hammer and anvil, the military technique involving the use of two primary forces, one to pin down an enemy, and the other to smash the opponent.
You certainly don’t want one without the other in terms of the long-term building of a robust profile.
You see a number of faces on ITV This Morning or GB News that appear as experts regularly whether it’s Medical or to do with the Construction Industry. But then that’s the only place you ever see or hear about them. They’re not outputting any of their own native content into the public domain whatsoever. Just take take take in the form of grabbing an existing story breaking in the news and having a strong opinion about it, on either side of the narrative divide.
Former Channel 4 Chairman and CEO of Risk Capital, Luke Johnson, is an example of someone who has got a healthy mix of news reaction and news procreation in terms of his public persona. With his regular ‘The Maverick’ columns over the years for the Sunday Telegraph, these all got turned into a book, The Maverick: Dispatches From An Unrepentant Capitalist. Now he’s in the Sunday Times with a weekly column, only paused briefly in 2019 when Patisserie Valerie, which he chaired, went down, to let the dust settle. His new book Start It Up: Why Running Your Own Business Is Easier Than You Think has put him back in the author stakes. Twitter acts as one big news reaction opportunity for Johnson, where he risks his own reputation for what he believes in with regards to his extremely strong views about the wiping out of our freedoms. On the back of this, bookers from news channels cherry-pick what he’s saying about Covid, Climate, our fundamental freedoms and the Economy and book him regularly to discuss his views on breaking stories.
Toby Young, head of the Free Speech Union, keeps working the two techniques. He’ll write books like How To Win Friends And Alienate People but also regularly stands up for Freedom of Expression rights of people right across the political spectrum and attacks trending stories in this space as an expert.
While parasiting is a ‘quick hit’, the procreation bit can often be a bit more involved, just like it is in real life!
No matter how well-intentioned and thought through your proactive grand announcement might be, backed up with tonnes of field research, the paid-for PR Newswire release to 100,000 or 1,000,000 contacts can so often go into a vacuum. Often with no rhyme or reason. It just misses completely. You send out your wonderful communication and the world seemingly falls into total silence.
Any journalist will tell you that press releases so often miss the fundamentals of narrative.
When they’re sent out, so often all the juice has been drained from them, in a diluted, bland form. A shadow of their former selves after edit after edit by a committee.
Journalists field between 300 and 1,000 press releases every day.
That’s an awful lot of well-thought-through releases wanting to fertilise a very finite number of eggs.
There is a very finite quota of stories pertaining to a particular Subject area in any media outlet including radio and television just like there is in a national newspaper.
This breaks down into National news subdivided up into Crime, Health, Environment, Consumer etc. Lifestyle which includes wellbeing, fashion and cooking. International news. Local news. Opinion. Features. Entertainment such as TV, cinema and travel. Business. Sport.
There’s only a quota of 2 or 3 stories in each of the categories that will ever see the light of day each day. The rest will fall by the wayside.
All the releases swimming like sperm have to not only prove to be the strongest, but also pass a full MOT test.
Is there evidence provided for the claims made in the story? If not, it makes the media outlet liable to be sued. Does the story fit a typical preordained story-genre that journalists are familiar with so they recognise it as a story in the first place?
But then ironically, does the outer edge of the story seemingly explode and shatter pre-held beliefs or norms?
The fresh, breaking story is generally the collision of two fundamental opposites – a hostile act – to create a new.
A newspaper is full of hundreds of these ‘mini deaths’.
The French call an orgasm la petite mort. This means “the brief loss or weakening of consciousness” but most importantly, “the sensation post orgasm as likened to a mini death”.
Stories that get across the line are essentially the collision of opposities, or ‘deaths’ which creates the new realisation.
Interestingly, if you take a look at a Thesaurus, the definitions of ‘Collision’ and ‘Creation’ are antonymous, having the opposite meaning. The Collision Noun means the forceful coming together of two things.
But importantly, it’s through the Collison or Destruction, that comes the new Creation.
But fundamentally, it needs the Collision first.
That is the whole basis of the news agenda, and how and why your proactive content can form a part of it.
The leveraging, placing or seeding of the story so often occurs with just one particular journalist ‘taking the punt’.
In the spirit of the news being a ‘mini death’ and hostile act, placement often requires a bit of force, persuasion and a ‘firm handshake’ which might sometimes turn into an arm wrestle – never a brawl!
Always be polite. Have a sense of humour. But also be firm.
You’re in the process of casting off hundreds of other me-too similar stories that all seem rather similar. But in your case you’re proving yours wins in the Survival of the Fittest Hunger Games.
The placement with a single journalist can then be followed up, when the story finally breaks in The Guardian, Daily Mail or Sunday Times, with a mass send out to a BCC or personalised Mail-merged list of thousands of journalists who might then pile in with their own versions of the same story – because now it has currency in the form of the story running somewhere else.
I’ve done this the other way round quite often as well. A general wire out of the story has gone out to a broad list of contacts first, but where seemingly no one is biting.
In actual fact, no one wanted to be first off the block and were simply waiting and watching who else would go first and break the news.
As soon as just one outlet ran the story, with a bit of manual prompting and pushing in by me, the entire global media was ablaze writing the same story.
This is what happened when, during the 40th anniversary year of the Sex Pistols single Anarchy in the UK being released, I said that the son of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, the late manager of the Sex Pistols, was going to burn his £5,000,000 punk memorabilia collection in protest about the way that the corporate world had appropriated punk. There was a Virgin Punk credit card. McDonalds had done punk McNuggets.
So this was widely released first. Single placement second.
Generally, its single placement first, then wider release second.

2025-07-26
The Grifters' Lament

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

“We are the sickest country in the world. That’s why we have to fire people at the CDC … They did not do their job! This was their job to keep us healthy!”

– Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

What a gruesome spectacle it was to see HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. take on a conclave of vicious grifters on the Senate Finance Committee straining to warp reality in defense of their mighty patron, the nation-wrecking pharmaceutical companies.

Do you understand how deep, convoluted, and grave the political sickness is?

Over the years, the public health agencies and “big pharma” had evolved into a symbiotic vector driving the nation into chronic illness. They allowed the population to poison themselves on a diet of corn syrup, engineered snack foods, and chemical additives. Result: epidemic obesity, diabetes, and many other illnesses. To counter that, they dosed everybody to-the-max with sketchily-tested pharma products while the agency employees raked in royalties and pharma got a get-outa-jail-free card in the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) — legal liability cancelled.

Then, they all badly mis-stepped, conniving in the Covid-19 operation, a still poorly-comprehended scheme to punk the American people and enable mail-in ballot fraud to steal the 2020 election. First, there was Dr. Fauci’s years’ long effort to hatch a novel corona virus, Covid-19, in labs here and overseas. Then, there was the opportune release of the virus in 2019. Then, the pharma response to the virus: a “miracle” mRNA vaccine that was likely already developed in secret, even before Operation Warp Speed was acted-out to pretend that pharma just came up with it. And, of course, there was President Trump 1.0 getting hosed by his Covid Response Team (Fauci, Birx, et al.) on all this.

Thus, you have that battery of US Senators all paid handsomely by Pharma to defend the industry with hysterical obfuscation against the lone figure, Mr. Kennedy, striving to correct all that fantastic corruption. He retorted to their malign nonsense honorably, revealing their conflicts of interest, their cupidity, the bales of dollars paid by pharma to the likes of Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and the rest over the years, and their longstanding silence on the afore-mentioned poisoning and drugging of America.

Incidentally, to understand how this grift got so exorbitant, look to the unfortunate 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (558 U.S. 310). In a 5-4 ruling (by majority conservative justices, then including Alito, Thomas, and Scalia), SCOTUS decided that previous prohibitions on corporate money in election campaigns were unconstitutional because corporations enjoy legal status as persons, that is, as citizens, and giving money to election campaigns is a form of free speech under the first Amendment, which can’t be abridged by any law.

And so, the spigot opened on vast fortunes laid on politicians by corporations seeking to protect their interests. If anything went to warp speed, it was the Beltway lobbying industry. The Citizens United decision was a singular tragedy for our country. The legal reasoning behind it was specious because corporations, unlike real human citizens, do not have duties, obligations, and responsibilities to the nation, entailed in their citizenship. Rather, corporations have duties, obligations, and responsibilities solely (and explicitly in law) to their shareholders, whose interests are not necessarily consistent with the public interest. Why has no one noticed this?

Well, they haven’t and that is exactly where American politics went badly off-the-rails. The resulting accelerated corruption in the public health agencies of our government has been a disgusting side effect of all that, which RFK, Jr., has been called to clean up, a Herculean task. The most visible manifestation of that corruption is the chronic illness of the people — 76.4 percent of all of us, he told the committee, with eight out of ten young men physically unfit for military service. We’re the sickest nation in the world.

When the senators confabulate over “the science,” what they really mean is the armature of medical authority that has enabled the money-flow to their campaign committees (and eventually to their own bank accounts.) It’s that very scaffold of authority that has collapsed. Why? Because the medical authorities lied over and over about the Covid-19 episode, and especially about the vaccines, which were never properly tested, and were neither safe nor effective.

Your own doctors got paid extravagantly to push the vaccine. The so-called Pfizer Papers, collected, collated, and analyzed by Naomi Wolf’s organization (because nobody else would do it) showed the sloppiness of the whole process behind the vaccines’ development and release, and the pharma companies’ evasion of responsibility for the damage done. The medical journals lied about everything from the origin of the virus to the efficacy of the vaccine. The CDC campaigned against viable, inexpensive treatments for the virus. The CDC pushed the worthless, gamed PCR tests to jack up the case numbers. The CDC pushed the idiotic mask rules, school closings, business closures, and the vaccine mandates. The hospitals killed people with remdesivir and respirators, and got paid for it! The authority of all these parties is blown, especially the CDC’s — and these perfidious senators have the gall to hide behind this “science”?

What Mr. Kennedy is challenged with is sorting through all the official lies told by these agencies — the so-called “data” — to arrive at a comprehensible picture of what really happened. And then to inquire beyond Covid into many other pharma products that might be making Americans sick. Neither the politicians nor the people employed by the agencies when Covid went down want that to happen.

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2024-06-11
Electric airplanes: Denmark’s first test flight could power the future of flight
How Fast Is the Future of Flight?

Picture this: a jet that can snag its juice from a regular EV charger in just 20‑40 minutes. Yep, the devs promise lightning‑quick battery swaps, ready for the next generation of airborne green tech.

Why Airports Need to Roll Out the Plug‑in Parade
- Charging Time: A quick refuel – no long layovers.
- Infrastructure Growth: Airports will have to upgrade like a racetrack for battery‑powered jets.
- Wider Adoption: The more stations, the more airlines will hop on board.
Electric Skies Over Copenhagen

Picture a sunny day in Denmark. A small plane—more like a winged van—zips across the sky from Sønderborg to Copenhagen. Most locals might have just shrugged at the sight. But this particular aircraft? It’s given the full electric makeover.

Powerless, but Perfectly Quiet

Beta Technologies’ ALIA CTOL is a non‑firing aircraft that can charge in under an hour. The company touts it as a safe, silent and cheap alternative to the usual flight machines and helicopters. With a wingspan of 15 m (think Sprinter van size) it can fly as fast as 281 km/h.

Speed & Size
- Wingspan: 15 m – about the length of a delivery van.
- Top speed: 281 km/h – faster than most commuter jets.
- Charge time: < 1 h – so you’re not stuck on a charging station the whole afternoon.
Environment Impact

When you compare it to a traditional helicopter, the electric plane cuts CO₂ emissions by a massive 84 percent. It’s practically the Green G5 of the skies.

Local Spirits Fly High

The take‑off was celebrated in Sønderborg, 325 km west of Copenhagen, by director Jákup Sverri Kass.

“You think green aviation is a distant future story?” he asked the crowd, smugly. “Today, we’re standing under the first real flight proof we’re actually seeing that future. This isn’t just a test; it’s the launch of something brand new!”

With the entire journey logged as Denmark’s first test flight of a non‑firing aircraft, folks can now imagine a future where the sky’s calm skies meet zero‑fuel dreams.

The Electric Take‑off: A Roaming Boat on Wings

Picture this: a cabin filled with curious travelers, each one squinting at a flight recorder that’s humming in silence—no roar from a jet engine, just the soft buzz of an electric motor. That’s the ALIA CTOL, the first all‑electric airplane to roam Europe.

From Ireland to a Continental Hola

In May, the ALIA hatched its grand European crossover, kicking off at Shannon Airport in Ireland. It’s been cruising from one city to another, soaking up the skies and leaving behind a trail of plug‑and‑play charging stations. Every stop showcases the airplane’s seamless electrodromechanical performance and the eco‑friendly infrastructure that powers it.

From Cockpit to Cargo: Jobs in the Skies
- Next stop, Norway! In August, the ALIA will start barge‑like cargo services between Bergen and Stavanger.
- It’s not just a traffic show – the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority is gunning to audit the zero‑emission flight with the meticulous eye of a quality inspector.
- Imagine that: a plane that flies without a single carbon puff, but with a whole fleet of electric gear to keep it alight.
In short, the ALIA’s voyage isn’t just a journey through clouds—it’s a journey into a cleaner future. Jump into the cockpit (or just ride the thrill from the ground) and witness the possibilities, because who said airplanes can’t be fun and green at the same time?

Charging is the main challenge

Meet the ALIA CTOL – Europe’s Own Electric Goose

What it is: a regional electric jet that can fit a handful of passengers (up to five) or even cargo. Imagine a tiny airplane that leans on batteries instead of fuel.

Range & Performance
- Longest single‑charge flight: 622 km – so it’s perfect for “short‑haul” missions.
- Snappy charging: stick it into a standard fast‑charge electric‑car socket and you’re back in the sky in just 20–40 minutes.
- Typical airport stops: the plane carries its own charger, plugs into a portable power unit, and takes a quick pit‑stop in cities across Europe.
Why It’s a Game‑Changer

Forget the “hoverboard” vibes – this is a full‑blown aircraft that does the whole cycle: takeoff, fly, land, recharge, repeat. The ability to plug into a regular charger means airports don’t need to build fancy high‑voltage stalls; the pilot can simply swap out the power pack, hop back in, and keep the flight rolling.

Quick Takeaway

The ALIA CTOL shows that electric flight isn’t just a futuristic dream anymore; it’s a practical, short‑range solution that can be quickly powered up and is already making its way across the continent. Think of it as the electric aircraft version of the e‑bike—compact, rechargeable, and ready to roll (or fly) whenever you need.

Flying High, Charging Low: Europe’s Power Struggle for Electric Planes

Picture this: a small electric jet hovers over a runways, clutching a portable charger like a kid with a new toy. “We’re still playing by the old rules,” says Shawn Hall, the revenue guru from a pioneering airline, as the jet wheezes into Copenhagen.

Why the Wait?

Unlike the U.S., where dedicated charging pads blur the line between parking and power, Europe’s airports still lack a permanent power lineup. The result? Flight crews lug a charger right onto the tarmac, and the battery takes a leisurely 30‑minute dip before the plane can lift off again.

Copenhagen’s CEO on the Horizon

Christian Poulsen, the mastermind behind Copenhagen Airport, told Euronews Next that the hub is keen on a future where both jet‑prop racers and electric flyers share the skies. “We’ll have to upgrade our gear to keep the engines humming when the clouds come,” he mused.

Speeding Toward a Cleaner Sky

Rumor is, the battery game is about to shake up. Jørgen Mads Clausen, a tech titan from Denmark’s Danfoss, keeps his eyes peeled for the next decade of breakthroughs. “Think of it like a battery super‑hero for huge planes,” he chuckled. “Once the tech hits its stride, everything will sprint—so we need the infrastructure ready, not just the planes.”
- Portable chargers: Costly but immediate.
- Permanent stations: Long‑term solution, still waiting for the green light.
- Battery tech: The next big leap, could arrive by the 2030s.
So, while the U.S. already has charging pads, Europe is racing to catch up. The big message? “Get the power hookups in place before the jets expect the sky to be powered.”

Sustainable aviation in Europe

Flying Green: Denmark’s Bold Bet on a Zero‑Carbon Future

The Danish government is taking the aviation world by storm: by 2025 it plans to launch its first all‑electric domestic flight route, and by 2030 every local route will be free of fossil fuels. The move comes with a 13 Danish kroner (about €1.74) surcharge on each ticket, earmarked to plug the energy gap and fund the switch to greener aircraft.

Nordic Allies in the Sky
- Norway is eyeing a 2040 target where every domestic flight will be electric or hybrid.
- Sweden is looking to eliminate fossil fuel use on all domestic routes by 2030, with international flights following a 2045 curtain call. The Swedish‑American firm Heart Aerospace is crafting the ES‑30, a 30‑passenger electric plane that can cruise 200 km on a single battery charge.
- Other European countries—like the Netherlands, France, and the UK—have launched similar sized electric planes, proving the concept is on the cusp of reality.
More Than Just Batteries

While electric wings currently handle only short European hops, Denmark’s experts recognize the need to diversify the tool kit. Renewable Energy Systems lead Lasse Stenhøj Ingvardsen explains that Europe is investing in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), hydrogen, and hybrid models—all labeled as “tools” in the quest for zero emissions.

“Think of SAF as the power source, batteries as the batteries, and hybrids as the Swiss Army knife,” he joked. “We’re not locked into one single solution.”

Looking Ahead

With the blended approach of electric, fuel‑evolution, and hydrogen, Denmark and its Nordic friends are setting a course that other nations may follow. Though the sky remains the ultimate frontier, each new take‑off feels a bit closer to that greener horizon.
2023-07-30