Scientists discover fossils of Jurassic sea creatures that used to swim across Texas

By Matthew Phelan Senior Science Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 18:57 EDT, 29 June 2023

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Republican efforts to radically reshape how elections are conducted across the country by giving state legislatures almost unchecked powers to redraw congressional maps and set electoral rules.

The justices voted 6-3 to uphold a decision made by North Carolina’s top court, saying it had not overstepped its authority in striking down a new map of congressional districts as overly partisan.

Republican lawmakers essentially asked the nation’s highest court to allow state legislatures ultimate authority, unchecked by state courts, in federal elections.

In his majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote: ‘State courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act under the power conferred upon them by the Elections Clause.’ 

‘But federal courts must not abandon their own duty to exercise judicial review.’

A different ruling could have had a major impact on the 2024 elections.

And it comes at a time when the role of partisan lawmakers in state elections is under intense scrutiny because of the way former President Donald Trump and his allies attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 and influence the 2022 midterms. 

The White House welcomed the decision.

‘We’re pleased that the Supreme Court rejected the extreme legal theory presented in this case, which would have interfered with state governments, which would have opened the door for politicians to undermine the will of the people and would have threatened the freedom of all Americans to have their voices heard at the ballot box,’ said Olivia Dalton, principal deputy press secretary.

The case before the Supreme Court relied on the ‘independent legislature theory. It is based on a hardline reading of the Constitution’s Clause, which states: ‘The times, places and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.’

Adherents argue that means that courts, governors or independent commissions cannot interfere in a legislature’s authority over elections, even if lawmakers gerrymander election maps or violate protections enshrined in state constitutions. 

Four of the Supreme Court’s justices have issued opinions suggesting some support for the controversial theory.

In North Carolina, the state supreme court struck down Republicans’ proposed map in February last year.

Of 14 Congressional districts, the GOP would have been in control of all but three. 

The Tar Heel state’s highest court voted 4-3 along party lines that the map was ‘unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt’ in its partisan advantage.

‘Achieving partisan advantage incommensurate with a political party’s level of statewide voter support is neither a compelling nor a legitimate governmental interest,’ the court ruled.

Instead, the midterm elections were conducted with a court-drawn map, designed to split support evenly.

Republican leaders in the legislature made their case to justices in December, arguing that the state supreme court had overstepped its authority. 

At the time, Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, told the Associated Press that ‘this case could profoundly alter the balance of power in states and prevent state courts and agencies from providing protections for people’s right to vote.’

‘There’s a wide range of ways the court could rule on this. Taken to its extreme, it would be a radical reworking of our system of running elections,’ he said. 

Former President Barack Obama also welcomed the decision.

‘This ruling rejects the far-right theory that threatened to undermine our democracy, and makes clear that courts can continue defending voters’ rights — in North Carolina and in every state,’ he tweeted.

Beyoncé has donated £8,000 to a struggling Nigerian restaurant in North London, who were at risk of closure due to rising energy bills.

Chuku’s, a Nigerian tapas restaurant in Tottenham run by brother and sister duo Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederik, were one of 10 winners to receive a grant by the music superstar, 41, this month.

As part of her incredible Renaissance World Tour, the Halo hitmaker’s foundation BeyGOOD had pledged to donate a share of $1 million (£806,000) to ten businesses in cities around the world.

They included Atlanta, New Orleans, Chicago and London – where Bey (worth an estimated £420 million) took to the stage five times in May and June with gigs at the nearby Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Though Chuku’s built up an impressive following since opening in 2020, they found themselves facing difficult times after launching during the pandemic including struggling with the cost if rising energy bills. 

At the end of last year, the restaurant set themselves a huge challenge to get 600 bookings in six weeks. And impressively, they managed to get a whopping 801. 

Emeka and Ifeyinwa found themselves facing a wealth of support from the local community as well A-list celebs and footballers keen to taste Chuku’s unique take on traditional Nigerian food. 

And now they’ve been given an extra boost by Beyonce’s foundation, with the grant awarded during the The Black Parade Small Business Impact Luncheon, created by BeyGOOD to ‘celebrate people, communities, and small businesses impacted by economic inequities worldwide’.

The luncheon was held at the Four Seasons in Tower Hill, where 100 entrepreneurs gathered with the chance to bag $100,000 (£806,090) in prizes.

And with over 400 applicants, the win was all the more sweeter for the sibling duo seeing as they were only part of the two per cent of winners on the night. 

Chuku co-founder Emeka said of the win: ‘This grant couldn’t be more welcome. Chuku’s, like other restaurants that don’t have a financial reserve, has been battered by lockdowns and the cost of living crisis.

‘Every day, we’re fighting to stay open to make it to our fourth birthday. This money will make that fight a little easier and allow us to continue celebrating Nigerian culture on Tottenham’s High Road for the time being.’

While his sister Ifeyinwa added: ‘I still can’t quite believe that Beyoncé has backed our restaurant – it feels a bit surreal. 

‘We’d already felt her impact when she was in town and concertgoers chose Chuku’s for their pre-gig meal, but this is a whole other level.’

On whether she believed the Cuff It singer had ever tasted their food, she told The Times: ‘We never knew [if] anyone came for a takeaway or had the food on the sly. I think it was about what we put in our application.’

Asked what difference the grant has made, added: ‘It helps keep you energised. To receive this award it’s someone saying, “We see you. We recognise your hard work.” This is one of those moments when it’s a fantastic push forward.’

The superstar showed off her toned physique in a sexy red outfit with coordinated elbow-length gloves and a flowing red fabric that extended from the top of her head to each of her elbows.

The beauty donned a glamorous makeup palette, accessorized with long dangling silver earrings, and finished the look with red tights and heels with diamond straps.

The Renaissance World Tour is the singer-songwriter’s ninth concert tour supporting her seventh studio album, Renaissance.

Renaissance was one of the biggest summer albums last year after the pop icon released the disco-inspired collection of dance songs. 

The concert series kicked off at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, in May. 

A few weeks ago, while performing in Wales, Beyonce was left stunned by her fans as she enlisted the help of her audience to belt out her 2011 track Love On Top, leading to a pitch-perfect rendition of the track, after which the music icon said to the 75k-strong crowd: ‘Give yourself a round of applause.’ 

During her performance, she played an array of her popular songs such as Formation, Run The World (Girls), Love On Top, and a powerful mash-up of Dangerously In Love, Flaws And All, and 1+1 that electrified the crowd.

Gareth Southgate reveals Bukayo Saka came close to MISSING England’s 7-0 thrashing of North Macedonia due to an Achilles injury

• Gareth Southgate revealed Bukayo Saka was suffering with an Achilles injury
• The 21-year-old scored three times in England’s 7-0 win over North Macedonia
• Southgate was proud of Saka and described him as ‘talented’ and ‘humble’ 

By Charlotte Daly For Mailonline

Published: 03:09 EDT, 20 June 2023 | Updated: 03:17 EDT, 20 June 2023

By Michael Pavitt For Mailonline

Published: 13:15 EDT, 19 June 2023 | Updated: 15:21 EDT, 19 June 2023

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Officials have killed the first rabid moose reported in North America after it was spotted ‘drooling’ and ‘being very aggressive towards people’ in an Alaskan town.

The giant horned animal was initially seen bleeding and covered in patchy fur, and after being put down,  it tested positive for an Arctic fox variant of rabies.

Alaska wildlife officials believe an infected fox bit the moose and are now widening surveillance efforts to track rabies, testing all brain samples from wild mammals found dead or euthanized in shelters across the regions plagued by Arctic fox rabies within the past year.  

Before this case, all recorded cases of moose with rabies were limited to Europe. 

‘That moose was being aggressive towards people and charging and getting a little bit too close for comfort to them,’ Sara Germain, a Nome-based wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), told local NBC affiliate WMTV. 

In response to local reports of the moose’s erratic behavior, Germain traveled to Teller, a small seaside community 70 miles northwest of Nome, with additional ADF&G personnel as a backup.  

‘We decided to dispatch the animal,’ Germain said, ‘take the head and some other samples to try and see what was wrong with it.’

Further study of the downed moose, Alaska Wildlife Veterinarian Kimberlee Beckmen told reporters, revealed a partially healed chest wound believed to be a fox bite.

Beckmen and her ADF&G colleagues said this bite was likely how the moose contracted the Arctic fox rabies variant, which was later corroborated via samples tested by the Alaska State Virology Laboratory and the CDC. 

‘We’re going to begin testing all mammals that come out of Northwest Alaska and other parts of the endemic region for fox rabies,’ Beckmen said. 

‘So that includes Southwest Alaska, the Alaska Peninsula, and the North Slope. We’ll test all mammals now.’

The arctic fox variant of rabies has hit local fox populations in record numbers this year, according to the ADF&G, circulating among red foxes on Alaska’s Seward Peninsula and among Arctic foxes on its North Slope all winter. 

Of the 66 local foxes tested for rabies this past year, 28.8 percent tested positive, Alaska’s wildlife officials reported a record number.

‘The normal underlying is three to five percent in a non-outbreak year,’ Beckmen said, ‘and 15 percent in an outbreak year for normal foxes.’  

Alaskan state veterinarian Dr. Bob Gerlach said that moose are very solitary this time of year — which means that the likelihood of this rabies strain spreading to infect more moose is, fortunately, fairly low.

After correcting their initial statement, Alaskan wildlife officials confirmed that the now-dead, rabid moose was the first known case of a moose with rabies in North America. 

Beckmen said that moose had previously been tested for rabies in ‘close call’ cases in South Dakota, Minnesota and Canada — but the results were negative in each of those cases.

Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game advised the public that the best way to protect themselves, their domesticate animals and their livestock from rabies is to ensure their pets are vaccinated. 

According to ADF&G, pets are the most likely to come into contact with rabid wildlife. 

‘Likewise,’ ADF&G commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang said in a statement, ‘preventing pets from interacting with foxes or other wildlife, and not leaving garbage or other attractants accessible to foxes and other wildlife, remain important.’

BUSINESS LIVE: North Sea windfall tax to be reformed; Mothercare CEO quits; CMC Markets buys stake in StrikeX

By This Is Money

Updated: 02:45 EDT, 9 June 2023

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It is a debate sure to ruffle feathers, but anything beyond the Watford Gap really should be classed as the north of England, a study suggests.

This is the critical line at which high street bakery Greggs, the beacon of northernness, becomes more popular than the southerners’ sandwich shop of choice, Pret A Manger, an academic study has worked out using artificial intelligence.

If the national consumption of steak bakes versus houmous-filled wraps and smashed avocado on toast were not convincing enough, the researchers also looked at the distribution of Morrisons and Waitrose supermarkets across England.

This too put the north-south divide within two miles of the Watford Gap.

Both calculations agree that Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester are technically in the north of England. But bizarrely, the Pret and Greggs dividing line shows that Cornwall is northern.

This is the case because there are no Prets in the county, and because Cornwall is grudgingly home to a couple of Greggs, despite the ‘pasty wars’ which saw some locals describe the bakery as ‘Satan’s franchise’ because its pastry goods are not made to a traditional recipe.

The analysis by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University, carried out using machine-learning and not yet peer-reviewed by other academics, but published online in April, was brought to the attention of a wider audience at Cheltenham Science Festival.

Sophie MacLean referenced it in her talk on how maths is relevant to everyday questions.

The mathematician told the audience: ‘Really there is only one way to judge what’s north and what’s south and that is by looking at the distribution of Pret and Greggs.

‘You could imagine the single Pret in Newcastle surrounded by a swarm of Greggs.

‘In London, they say you’re never more than six metres from a rat – or a Pret.’

Dr Robin Smith, the physicist who led the study from Sheffield Hallam, adapting the machine-learning normally used to look at nuclear reactions, said: ‘The food we eat is a very good indicator of whether someone is northern or southern.

‘Greggs is very popular in the north, where people do seem to prefer a steak bake.

‘We are fascinated by the north-south divide, so it is good to have a way of working out where it starts.

‘The north really may start at the Watford Gap, just as people say it does, even though, as someone from Birmingham, I wouldn’t think of myself as being from the north of England.

‘Since Greggs produced the vegan sausage roll, however, it has become more popular in the south, so this might not be a marker of northernness for that much longer.’

The north-south divide is believed to date back to 1069, when William the Conqueror charged north to try to control an unruly population.

Greggs has become a symbol of the north because its first bakery was opened in Newcastle in 1951, while Pret first opened in Hampstead in 1984.

The ‘tongue-in-cheek’ England-only research, which was carried out during the researchers’ evenings and weekends over the course of a month, was done by searching for Greggs and Pret stores, Morrisons and Waitrose supermarkets across the country and converting their locations into latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates.

Researchers used a machine-learning statistical method to try to work out the line in the country dividing the most Greggs from Prets.

Then they used an artificial neural network, to assign a value to each area of the country based on its number of these outlets.

This showed the dividing line in the country where the probability of finding a Greggs overtakes the probability of finding a Pret – oddly enough it divides Norfolk, with King’s Lynn classed as northern, while Norwich is still in the south.

The researchers looked at the supermarkets also, because Pret is so concentrated in London that a ‘London effect’ may skew the figures, and the use of Pret and Greggs produced the ‘Cornwall anomaly’.

Both measures put the diagonal north-south divide as roughly cutting across Peterborough.

Oxford, Cambridge and Milton Keynes all end up in the south.

The north-south line calculated by looking at Pret and Greggs closely matches the north-south divide based on average gross household income, which was also analysed by the researchers, because incomes in the north are generally lower than in the south.

The line from looking at Morrisons and Waitrose closely matches the north-south divide called the ‘Dorling line’ which is based on factors including house prices, employment level and life expectancy.

Oil stocks sank amid fears over the future of North Sea projects.

North Sea producer Harbour Energy shed 3.5 per cent, or 8.2p, to 226.7p, and global giants BP and Shell fell 2.2 per cent, or 10.3p, to 466.6p and 3 per cent, or 70.5p, to 2282p respectively amid reports that a future Labour government would block new North Sea oil projects.

There also remains uncertainty over whether Opec+, the group made up of 13 oil-exporting nations such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and allies including Russia, would increase their output cuts at its meeting on June 4.

Last month it announced plans to slash supply by nearly 1.2million barrels a day. The price of Brent crude sank more than 3 per cent to hover below $75 a barrel.

The London stock market reopened from the bank holiday weekend on a mixed footing, with the FTSE 100 down 1.4 per cent, or 105.13 points, to 7522.07 and the FTSE 250 gained 0.1 per cent, or 13.28 points, to 18807.37.

There was good news for Greencore after the supermarket sandwich maker increased its revenue despite a seasonally quieter first half of the year. Sales rose by a fifth to £925.8m in the six months to the end of March.

But it swung to a loss of £6.2million, having made a £1million profit the year before, amid higher costs and soaring interest rates.

The group also cut costs by axing 25 jobs at the end of March. It also launched a share buyback yesterday worth up to £10million as part of a wider £50million repurchase programme. Shares grew 4.3 per cent, or 3.25p, to 79.05p.

Heading in the other direction was Dr Martens as analysts painted a bleak picture ahead of its results on Thursday. RBC lowered the boot maker’s rating to ‘sector perform’ from ‘outperform’ and cut target price to 180p from 230p. 

The broker flagged concerns over challenges the group faces in the US which makes up 37 per cent of revenues. Shares sank 5.1 per cent, or 8.2p, to 153.1p.

Lloyd’s of London insurer Hiscox has appointed the former boss of Prudential (flat at 1125p) to become its next chairman.

Jonathan Bloomer, who led the former M&G (down 0.03 per cent, or 0.05p, to 198.3p) parent company from 2000 to 2005, is set to join the group on Thursday and replace Robert Childs who will retire on July 1. Shares rose 1 per cent, or 12p, to 1182p.

The boss of Hochschild Mining is to step down after 13 years. Ignacio Bustamante will leave his job at the gold and silver miner on August 26 to move to London and take up a new position at another company.

He will be replaced by Hochschild’s chief operating officer Eduardo Landin, who has held the role for 10 years. Shares rose 1 per cent, or 0.7p, to 72.75p.

Rolls-Royce fell 3.1 per cent, or 4.65p, to 144.4p and BAE Systems dropped 0.8 per cent, or 8p, to 943.4p after the British defence giants were accused by India’s investigative agency of engaging in a ‘criminal conspiracy’ over the supply of fighter jets to the country between 2003 and 2012.

RHI Magnesita stormed to the top of the mid-cap index after the group, which makes heat resistant materials for the steel industry, received an offer for 20 per cent of its shares at 2850p.

The bid, which was tabled by the investment holding group Ignite Luxembourg, represented a 39 per cent premium to the company’s previous closing price.

Shares jumped 23.6 per cent, or 484p, to 2534p.

It was also a positive session for Hunting after the energy services firm increased its profit forecast for 2023 on the back of winning its biggest contract to date worth £73m with India’s Cairn Oil and Gas.

Shares soared 13.4 per cent, or 27p, to 228.5p yesterday.

There is a saying that Argentinians are Italians who speak Spanish and act like the English. Yes, they seem to enjoy queuing, polo is popular among rarefied groups and some apparently take tea at 4 o’clock (though I don’t meet any). But it would be more accurate to say that Argentina feels European.

Two-thirds of its 45 million population have family who made the journey in search of a better life at the turn of the last century. Italy is everywhere: in charm, style, cuisine. Mostly in the way the country is run. Business and politics revolve around what you can get away with. The economy should be in ruins but somehow manages to get by.

One of the problems with this vast country is choosing where to go. I could head to Patagonia and its glaciers or Bariloche and its lakes. But I choose the less-visited northwest, with its volcanoes and mesmerising emptiness.

Most trips begin and end in Buenos Aires. We stay in Palermo, the home of the impressive MALBA, the Museum of Latin American Art, where Frida Kahlo is the star.

Close by, Recoleta is wealthier, and coiffed ladies fight for pavement space with professional dog walkers. Here, the cemetery contains tombs of Argentina’s greats, including Eva Peron (Evita), the famous First Lady who stole the nation’s heart from 1946 until her premature death in 1952.

With the country’s annual inflation running near 100 per cent, people spend monthly salaries almost as soon as they are paid. Bars and restaurants in Buenos Aires seem to be doing a roaring trade, serving steaks and exotica such as llama carpaccio.

When you think of Argentina, you invariably think of tango, the sensual dance that many aspire to but few achieve (my wife and I took classes in London before we left, only to find that we tripped on each other’s toes). Buenos Aires is replete with clubs where you can watch tango over food and drink until the early hours – but choose carefully.

My favourite attraction in the capital is Palacio Barolo. When completed in 1923 it was South America’s tallest skyscraper – 22 storeys inspired by Dante Alighieri’s 14th Century poem, The Divine Comedy. At the top is a lighthouse that has been switched on only twice – at the end of the First World War and for Argentina’s recent World Cup win.

A two-hour flight takes us to the colonial city of Salta, its central square dominated by a cathedral.

Also on the square is the Museum of High-Altitude Archaeology. Inside, in a glass box, sits a 15-year-old girl, frozen in time. In 1999, scientists working 23,000ft high on the Chilean border found three Inca children buried at the top of the Llullaillaco volcano. They had been there for 500 years.

These children had been chosen for their beauty, and walked for seven months from Cusco, the Inca capital, to reach the summit. They were then put to sleep with alcohol and froze in the extreme cold. Child sacrifice was considered a gift to the Gods.

As we drive down Calchaqui Valley the next morning, we stop at gorges with names such as Devil’s Throat. We’re heading to Bodega El Esteco, a vineyard in Cafayate. It is a mystery to me why Argentina does not export more wine. The reds – malbec or the less famous tannat – would give most competitors a run for their money.

For the next four days we are ensconced in a 4×4 with our guide Gaston, as he takes us to remote terrain. They call it Pachamama, Mother’s Land, where you can visit Museo de la Pachamama to see its striking Viracocha pre-Inca and Inca masks.

Its barrenness is the attraction: vast stretches of jagged rocks, pumice fields and lakes populated by pink flamingos.

With just a few settlements and hundreds of miles of unpaved road, most of the time you’re on your own.

Gaston also escorts geologists carrying out experiments on rock erosion. ‘Scientists have scoured the earth,’ he says, ‘here is the closest you get to Mars.’

On the way down from our lunar landscape we pass the town of San Antonio de los Cobres, the end point for the Train to the Clouds. The line is an engineering marvel. Originally built for freight, it now runs for tourists to wonder at the sights below.

Though you see posters proclaiming the Falklands, known here as the Malvinas, to be Argentine, the British are popular here, and populous. I meet the ancestor of one emigrant – Kevin Begg – while sipping torrontes wine.

I had arrived at Los Potreros ranch that morning on a flight from Salta to Cordoba. Kevin’s is one of the region’s largest cattle farms: 500 Aberdeen Angus spread across 6,500 acres. He wears the gaucho beret and seems as Argentine as anyone here – though he went to boarding school in the West Country.

Apart from the decor, sumptuous food and lively conversation, people mainly visit Los Potreros for the riding – 100 horses cater to every level. You can go fast or slow, savouring the open hills – think Yorkshire Moors in abundant sunshine.

On our final morning, Kevin springs a surprise. We are going to play polo.

I am not a good horseman, I remind him, but he just smiles and introduces me to Belem, our teacher, who encourages me with exhortations of ‘well done, come on’ as I lean to hit the ball.

We split into two teams, divided between hapless visitors and accomplished gauchos. My team loses 3-0. It’s like (far too often) England versus Argentina, but they are all too polite to say so.