It’s a city at the forefront of modern culture. At the center of the boom in all things K-Pop and K-Drama, which has seen the group BTS become the biggest-selling band in the world and movie “Parasite” pick up the Academy Award for best picture.

Through a heady mix of cutting-edge technology and a deep respect for traditions, Seoul has become one of the 21st century’s most tantalizing and important cities.

It’s a place where boy and girl bands use the metaverse to meet their fans in virtual worlds and older residents embrace new technology to showcase their city’s historic, storied ways.

A YouTube sensation

YouTube sensation Jaejae is perhaps the best-qualified person in Seoul to help understand this phenomenon and how it has come to pass. She interviews the biggest stars from Korean music, movies and film on the MMTG YouTube channel, which has almost two million subscribers. In the process, she too has become a star in Korea.

Alongside Hollywood A-listers, her videos include chats with rapper J-Hope, boy band Tomorrow x Together and the group Seventeen. Their fame, like Jaejae’s, has grown wildly in recent years, partly a result of Korea’s ongoing love affair with new technology and how it can develop connections with fans, both at home and overseas.

Koreans’ use of the internet, and social media in particular, has helped fuel Seoul’s development into a global cultural powerhouse, believes Jaejae.

“The people like fascinating things, I think,” she says. “They take a picture or a video… everything they take and upload through the Internet, that content spreads around the world. So that’s why K-Pop or K-Drama is spreading to the world.”

Jaejae describes herself as part of the M-Z Generation, bridging the gap between Millennials and the younger Generation Z. She is also keen to stress that the world she represents is part of a new way of seeing things, something she dubs “Newtro.” This concept, she says, blends a love for the latest things social media and the Internet have to offer with a fascination with all things 1980s and 1990s.

“Retro plus new: newtro,” she explains succinctly. “The word is spreading in Korea.”

It’s on show, she explains, in the brash and hugely popular gaming parlors, where new and old games mingle and locals spend hours playing new titles in a resolutely old school setting. It’s evident, too, outside Seoul’s beautiful Gyeongbokgung Palace, where young people dress in traditional hanbok dresses, all the better to feel closer to the history of their hometown.

Young meets old

Newtro isn’t just for the young, however. It’s also for the young at heart, those keen to espouse the best traditions Seoul has to offer by using the latest methods to spread the word.

Hyunju Cho is a retired graphic designer who, on her YouTube channel, also goes by the name of Pearlysien. It’s a space, she explains, where she can show that the older generation can also be steeped in the world of K Media and culture, ranging from food to fashion. She uses her channel to talk about outfits she’s bought in Europe and give tips on the best places to find the hottest dishes in Seoul.

“Why do YouTube?” she says, walking around a food market in search of mini sushi that she dubs “drug kimbap.” “Because I am retired. [For] Koreans of my same generation, retiring is the end of life. To do something is difficult. But I wanted a new life, a new start.”

As well as imparting food tips and life advice, Pearlysien is also keen to use YouTube to give life lessons to younger viewers. As a youthful, mischievous 60-year-old, she has one key message. The secret to staying K-Cool is to always try new things, whether it’s a fiery piece of sushi or an all-new outfit. A lesson that’s well worth taking home.

A primal pastime

Even Seoul’s traditional Korean bathhouses and saunas combine the city’s love of new and old. Found all over the city, these places offer locals a chance to refresh themselves and feel part of the wider community.

Known as jjimjilbang, these are not luxury spas, but rather locations where guests strip right down and scrub themselves clean after a long day at the office. The heat is deeply ingrained in the walls and atmosphere, inescapable to all those who come here.

The rules are multiple. Clothes are not allowed. Everyone must clean themselves before entering the baths. Long hair should be tied up when in the bath. Toiletries, other than basic soap, are not usually provided.

Exfoliation is big news at jjimjilbang, with dedicated scrubbers and towels often available to buy. Sometimes, these baths even offer treatments that are aimed at getting visitors clean as a whistle.

This Korean pastime is primal. It is all about water and fire, the chance to cleanse and exfoliate the excesses of the day and, in some cases, eat spicy, hot food afterward. When inside the baths, there is a sense of complete and utter escape.

History close at hand

If the jjimjilbang baths offer an escape from reality, there is a big dose of it to be found not far beyond the skyscrapers and apartment blocks that ring Seoul.

The demilitarized zone (DMZ), which marks the border between North and South Korea, is just a few miles from the heart of the city and stands as a stark reminder of the geopolitical situation in the region. The Korean peninsula has been split in two since the middle of the 20th century and continues to be at the epicenter of wider struggles between the world’s superpowers. The DMZ stretches for 160 miles and takes in a no man’s land that’s just two and a half miles wide.

Famously, it is home to the Joint Security Area (JSA), also known as the Truce Village. It is here where US and South Korean forces maintain a major base and where former US President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2019. The South and the North are still technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War, so the area is heavily protected.

“For me, working up here feels very surreal,” says Lieutenant John Paul Mulligan of the United States Navy. When asked about concerns over visitors to the JSA running across the border, Mulligan says that training is key.

“I would say that the soldiers here are very well trained in their PPR’s (pre-planned responses) and their responses, but also they are very good at de-escalation and preventing international incidents.”

That such a border exists so close to Seoul feels, as Mulligan says, surreal. When downtown, amongst the tech-savvy kids and futuristic landscapes, this reality can feel so distant as to be non-existent. Yet the worries that arise from it continue to dominate Korean life, with missile tests and the threat of war never feeling that far away.

All men aged between 18 and 28 must complete compulsory military service and there are few exceptions. All seven members of BTS are due to do so, with band member Jin enlisting in December 2022. Soccer star Son Heung Min completed a stint in 2020 (although he and his South Korean teammates were spared the full 21-month requirement after they won the 2018 Asian Games).

This patriotism, combined with pride in all things K-Pop, K-Drama and Newtro all go towards making Seoul a city like no other. Somewhere that cleverly balances the bleeding edge of the new, while maintaining a respect for tradition that permeates all parts of society.

Spring rains will soak the South this week, which could put millions of people at risk of flash flooding, with the Weather Prediction Center highlighting an area that puts Houston in the bullseye for the worst of the potential flooding.

“Instances of flash flooding are considered likely from the middle and upper Texas Gulf Coast to areas inland across the southeast Texas Triangle, which includes the entire Houston metro region,” the prediction center said.

Several rounds of heavy rain are expected through the day Tuesday and into Wednesday as a stubborn area of low pressure lingers.

The prediction center has issued a Level 3 out of 4 risk for excessive rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday, as torrential rains target the Houston metro area as well as Beaumont, Texas.

More than 7 million people are under flash flood watches in southeastern Texas through Wednesday evening. The region could see rainfall rates as high as 2 to 3 inches per hour at times.

Forecast models are indicating as much as 3 to 7 inches of rain are possible through Wednesday, with some areas potentially getting as much as 10 inches.

“The probability for numerous significant flash floods events has increased,” the National Weather Service in Houston said. “There is an increased danger to lives and property due to flash flooding.”

The main concern will be for areas where storms begin to train, which occurs when storms roll over the same area for longer periods of time, leading to intense flash flooding.

Get your local forecast here

The prediction center also issued a broader area of excessive rainfall risk for much of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. This Level 2 risk includes places like Lake Charles, Louisiana, and College Station and Victoria, Texas.

The Level 2 risk broadens on Wednesday to include areas like Dallas, Shreveport, Louisiana, and Little Rock, Arkansas. These areas will most likely receive around 2 inches of rain, which will be heavy at times.

By the second half of the week, the excessive rainfall risk diminishes, though isolated showers and storms will remain in the forecast.

The threat for flooding will linger due to the already saturated soils.

Need help finding the hotel within Doha’s airport? Look for the 23-foot-tall teddy bear made out of bronze and hang a right at the Hermes store.

Passengers transiting through Hamad International Airport in Qatar’s capital can choose to leave the airport and join a free tour of some of the capital’s most famous attractions, including Souq Waqif and the Golden Masjid.

But others can opt to book a room at the Oryx, a Qatar Airlines-owned hotel conveniently located near the C,D, and E gates.

As a swanky hotel in a swanky airport that regularly ranks at the top of the annual Skytrax list of the world’s best, it’s no stretch to say this could be one of the planet’s most luxurious transit hotels.

If you can locate it.

Because the oryx – a kind of antelope native to the Middle East – is the logo of Qatar Airways, the name is in use all over the airport, sometimes to confusing effect.

Case in point: The Oryx lounge is just one floor (second) below the Oryx hotel (third), which means that a staff member is employed to hang out in the hotel lobby to run interference for lost travelers.

To check in, passengers will need to show their passport and boarding pass. Doha is a “quiet airport,” which means that there are no oral announcements about boarding gates and passengers are expected to use screens or phone apps to figure out where to go. They’ll also have to part with upwards of about US$450 per stay – significantly more expensive than a typical night’s accommodation in Doha.

Front desk staff at the hotel are efficient and helpful. As only transit passengers are staying there, reception will double and triple-check passengers’ itineraries and offer a wake-up call to make sure they’re awake in time to make their next flight.

“Hamad International Airport operates as a 24-hours, seven-days-a-week facility and therefore all the different passenger touchpoints follow the same timeline,” says Badr Mohammed Al Meer, chief operating officer for the airport.

“We are constantly striving to offer the best and bespoke experiences for travelers, including our airport hotel offering. We want to provide them with an unmatched experience with a luxurious appeal, which is synonymous across the airport as a whole.”

Pooling wisdom

The Oryx is the only hotel within the airport itself, making it a logical choice for those with shorter layovers (by law, transit stays in the airport must be less than 24 hours). And there are also ways to experience the hotel without booking a room.

Travelers may access the Oryx’s “vitality center” at a cost of 175 riyals ($48) per person for up to four hours.

This wellness-centric area, one floor above the rooms, has a squash court, golf simulator, spa and hydrotherapy pools and hot tubs in addition to a swimming pool.

The narrow 25-meter (82-feet) long pool looks like it is encased in a glass jewel box.

Silver geometric designs are a major motif around the airport, and that continues to the pool, whose blue water shimmers against the light coming in from the lattice shape of the metal walls and ceiling.

Although there are some dress codes around public beaches in Qatar, the hotel is privately owned – meaning that guests can wear western swimwear. They can also order a poolside cocktail, as alcohol is permitted here as well.

Unlike the hotel, which is open 24 hours a day, the vitality center closes from 2-6 a.m. Access to these areas is gratis for hotel guests, although you still have to pay for spa treatments.

The treatments are designed specifically for travelers, like a massage for weary feet and a facial that addresses the dryness caused by recycled airplane air.

Thanks to Doha’s role as a major global transit hub, some guests find themselves returning to the Oryx on repeat visits.

One of those is Jane Jones, a Canadian travel agent who recently spent a 12-hour layover sleeping and swimming at the Oryx. It was her second time there – the first time, she had a shorter layover and opted for a pool and gym pass.

Jones, who was en route to a holiday in Thailand this January, says the hotel’s amenities are “top notch.”

“One thing I particularly appreciated was the convenience,” she said. “I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the room.”

Her personal highlights were the speedy free Wi-Fi, which enabled her to get some work done before her flight and the wide variety of options – namely weight training and cardio – in the gym.

“I would definitely do it again,” she adds.

In the room

There are 100 rooms at the hotel, all spread out along one floor.

Considering that an average of 40 million people pass through Hamad International Airport per year, there is high demand for rooms at the Oryx.

Booking in advance is highly recommended. People whose plans have changed or are dealing with last-minute cancellations can come to the reception area and stand in a long line to try and get a room, but those who have pre-booked can skip ahead and check in with ease.

The rooms themselves at the Oryx are light and airy. The walls are simple and cream-colored with the occasional burst of red or gold, while bed linens and towels are crisp, clean white. Overall, the design scheme creates a feeling of lightness.

There are four main room types – superior (with one king bed), deluxe (one king bed and one twin), family (three beds), and executive suites (one king bed, but more floor space), as well as a posh presidential suite complete with a private lounge and powder room.

Amenities make the rooms comfortable for a rest and recharge.

Each room has a kettle for coffee and tea making purposes, two complimentary bottles of water, and a large rainforest shower – just the thing for a rejuvenation between flights.

The other usual hotel amenities are there too: clothes hangers, an iron, a hair dryer, bathrobes, and slippers. In the bathroom, built-in shampoo dispensers and disposable toothbrushes mean you may not even need to take anything out of your own suitcase in order to freshen up.

In-room power points are international, and there are also USB ports.

And despite the airy, open feeling in the rooms and common spaces, there’s one critical area where things feel heavy: window coverings.

For people in desperate need of shuteye, the Oryx’s bedrooms can be made extremely dark despite the presence of Doha’s brilliant sunshine outside. And a good night’s – or afternoon’s – sleep may be the ultimate luxury of all.

When South African couple Max and Joy Ulfane began searching for their dream Italian home around 28 years ago, they never imagined that they’d end up buying a rundown castle in Tuscany.

But the entrepreneurs, who are based in the UK, quickly fell in love with Castello di Fighine, a neglected medieval military fortress with an attached hamlet, when they came across it back in 1995.

The Ulfanes have since transformed the castle, perched 650 meters (2,130 feet) above sea level in the municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni, near the Umbria border, into a very lavish second home.

Castle home

The couple say they’d viewed dozens of unsuitable properties around Italy before the hilltop castle, surrounded by olive groves and forests, was brought to their attention.

“One day the sales person told us ‘oh, there’s this place in Tuscany but it’s not for you, you won’t like it’ – and that did it,” adds Joy.

Feeling intrigued, they traveled to the hamlet of Fighine to view the castle, and were greeted by a hugely neglected ivy-covered building with high-vaulted ceilings and several rooms, including a wine cellar.

Although it was dilapidated and filled with rubble, the Ulfanes saw huge potential in Castello di Fighine and felt it was the right place for them.

The Ulfanes were also captivated by the timeless feel of Fighine, which is still encircled by 1.5 meter thick defensive walls with octagonal towers and small round turrets attached.

“We visited Fighine and it was just very romantic even if the castle was falling to pieces, covered in ivy and moss,” explains Joy Ulfane. “It was impossible to walk through.”

They purchased the fortress, which apparently belonged to an aristocratic family at the time, for an disclosed sum that same year, and soon got to work on what would turn out to be a four-year renovation process.

Once they began tearing down the vegetation covering the castle, a tower was discovered that hadn’t been visible previously.

Lengthy restoration

The Ulfanes later decided to purchase some of the rundown houses in the surrounding hamlet, and began renovating them once they’d completed most of the work on Castello di Fighine. This process took a further eight to 10 years.

They’re very proud of the entire project and consider it to be a real feat, particularly as they to constantly had to liaise with local town hall San Casciano dei Bagno and Soprintendenza delle Belle Arti, the Italian government office responsible for heritage properties, throughout the process.

“The castle is classified as a historical property so without the necessary permits from the Belle Arti we couldn’t even overturn a single stone,” adds Joy Ulfane.

According to Italian law, any structural changes that could alter the original architecture and purpose of a historic property must be supervised and green lit by the appropriate office, placing many restrictions on the type of work that can be done during this type of overhaul.

But the couple focused on restyling the rooms and making the property habitable again.

While the renovation process was far from simple, the Ulfanes’ perseverance paid off, and they are very happy with their beautifully restored fortress. The rooms inside the castle have been completely overhauled, with stunning results.

Even the old barn has been redone into a reception hall, while the castle gardens feature beautiful box hedges, cypresses, lemons trees, grape vines and roses.

The Ulfanes visit their private retreat as often as they can and feel very at home in Fighine.

Luxury retreat

“We come here once a month from London to relax, we love the peace, tranquility and utter privacy of our castle,” says Joy Ulfane.

“The gardens, the olive trees and the incredible view from this hill set at 650 meters of altitude, I just wanted that.”

The Ulfanes, who keep the castle strictly to themselves, restyled the adjoining houses into five stunning villas with pools and two apartments, which they rent to vacationers.

They went on to purchase the hamlet’s old village school, and have since transformed it into a high-end restaurant, Ristorante Castello di Fighine.

World-famous German chef Heinz Beck serves as manager at the one-Michelin star restaurant eatery, which has a terrace shaded by wisteria.

Although much of Fighine now belongs to the Ulfanes, there are still a handful of locals who have held onto their homes, refusing to abandon the ancient hamlet.

Situated close to the likes of Siena, Orvieto, Montepulciano and Pienza, Fighine provides stunning views over southern Tuscany.

Visitors can stroll along the hamlet’s narrow alleys, take a walk around the tiny piazza and admire the ancient stone walls covered in flowers.

Fighine also has a private theater and a restyled small 16th century chapel, where weddings and other special events are held.

Built in the 11th century as a military lookout, Castello di Fighine is connected to the main road by one single unpaved public path.

Over centuries, noble families such as the Visconti, Medici, Orsini, and even the pope, fought to control the castle and its territory.

Historic property

According to Paolo Morelli, a former mayor of San Casciano dei Bagni, Fighine began to decline in the 1700s when its strategic defensive role waned.

As living conditions in the town grew tougher, local families fled the hamlet in search of a brighter future elsewhere.

Historical documents unearthed by Morelli from 1746 indicate that the hamlet was inhabited by just 17 families at that stage, amounting to a population of just 60.The castle survived, but was neglected for many years.

“In 1606 it passed into the hands of a nobleman from Rome who was named marquis of Fighine and whose descendants lived in the fortress for nearly four centuries, until it was sold to the Ulfanes,” says Morelli.

By the time of Italy’s post-World War II economic boom, the population of Fighine had apparently shrunk down to around a dozen people.

“There was no electricity, running water nor toilets, just a nearby freezing cold fresh water source that fed Fighine’s historical stone wash house where village women gathered and can be visited,” says Gloria Lucchesi, an artist and history amateur from San Casciano who has interviewed various locals about life in the bygone days.

One interviewee, an elderly lady named Angelica who recently passed away, had lived in Fighine since the 1950s and said that she’d never once considered leaving.

“Fighine has always held a special place in the hearts of everyone in the valley, school kids are taken here on tours and tourists can’t miss it,” explains Lucchesi.

“Its past grandeur still resonates, it’s the biggest castle in the area and the most beautiful.

“The renovation has made it shine again. In Fighine, one can experience life in a medieval village, as in a journey across time.”

The FBI’s San Juan Division is working to identify potential victims after a man was charged with video voyeurism and attempted possession of child exploitation material for allegedly installing a hidden camera in a public bathroom on a Royal Caribbean ship.

The camera was allegedly installed on the cruise line’s Harmony of the Seas ship during a seven-day cruise departing from Miami, Florida, in late April, according to the criminal complaint in the case.

The man, identified as Jeremy Froias, boarded the Harmony of the Seas in Miami, and while the cruise ship was navigating in international waters, allegedly installed a hidden Wi-Fi camera in a public bathroom on the ship’s top deck between a surfing simulator and a bar, the criminal complaint said.

Several days later, another passenger noticed the hidden camera and reported it to Harmony’s crew. Security personnel searched the bathroom and found and seized the hidden camera. According to the criminal complaint, security personnel found a Micro SD card with several hours’ worth of video files inside.

The FBI has posted a form online seeking potential victim information. “If you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Jeremy Froias or have information relevant to this investigation, please fill out  this short form,” the posting says, noting that the timeframe it is focusing on is between April 30 and May 1, 2023.

The initial videos on the camera allegedly depict Froias hiding the camera and adjusting the angle to focus on the toilet, then connecting the camera to his the phone using Wi-Fi, before leaving the bathroom.

Additional videos reviewed by investigators showed more than 150 individuals, including what appeared to be at least 40 minors, coming into the bathroom to either use the toilet or change into or out of swimsuits, the complaint said.

According to the criminal complaint, Froias allegedly “admitted to placing the hidden camera in the bathroom” and told the ship’s security personnel that he knew the camera had been found and taken because he couldn’t find it when he went to check on it on May 1.

At his bond hearing Monday, Froias was released to his wife as a third-party custodian and ordered to post a $25,000 unsecured bond with the conditions that he is not to have unsupervised contact with any minors, including his children, is not to have internet access, and is to surrender his passport, among other things, court records show.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement that it was aware of the incident on the ship’s April 29 cruise.

“The matter was immediately reported to local and federal law enforcement and the guest involved was removed from the ship by authorities for further investigation. As this is an active case, we are unable to share any more details at this time,” the cruise line said. 

At this point, it’s no surprise that there’s been another mass shooting in America.

The latest tragedy came in Allen, Texas, on Saturday when a gunman opened fire on shoppers at an outlet mall. It was another horrific attack on people simply going about their lives, whether at shops, a bank, parties, schools, places of worship or even at their own homes.

After every shooting, the political rituals are the same. Republicans who have harnessed their party to activists who want to loosen gun laws offer prayers for the victims and talk vaguely about a mental health crisis. Democrats demand more gun control and a ban on fast-firing assault weapons that can kill multiple people in seconds.

But nothing ever changes.

Is there any way out of this endless cycle of death? Or is the political system simply too deadlocked — even though majorities of Americans in most polls favor some kind of reform to gun laws.

How the states compare

Jennifer Mascia is a senior news writer with “The Trace,” an independent news operation dedicated to covering America’s gun violence epidemic.

Meanwhile: Some state officials in pro-gun Texas have argued that since mass shootings also occur in liberal states with tighter gun laws, more restrictions would be not work. Is this true?

Mass shootings do occur in states with tight gun laws, as we saw with Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay in California earlier this year. But the states with the loosest gun laws still tend to have higher rates of gun death.

According to the most recent CDC figures, the states with the lowest rates of gun death (which includes both homicides and suicides) are Massachusetts, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island; California is 8th. Those states all have gun owner licensing, which means you must get a license or permit before you can even buy a gun. That process typically involves a thorough background check, interviews with law enforcement, character references, mandatory firearm training, and fingerprints. Gun owner licensing, also referred to as permit-to-purchase, is considered the most effective policy at reducing gun deaths.

Meanwhile: What are the states with the most deaths from firearms?

The states with the highest rates of gun death are Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama, and Wyoming; Texas is 28th. With the exception of New Mexico, all of those states (including Texas) have enacted permitless carry, meaning gun owners are not required to get a license or undergo training in order to carry a concealed gun in public. There are 27 permitless carry states now, and studies have shown that gun violence rises after states loosen concealed carry requirements. A study last year from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the average rate of gun assaults rose 9.5% in the first decade after 34 states relaxed their concealed carry restrictions. Missouri provides an interesting case study: Until 2007, the state required permits to purchase guns, like Massachusetts, California, and a dozen other states do. In the five years after permit-to-purchase was repealed, the murder rate rose 14%, one study found. Missouri further loosened its gun laws, enacting permitless carry in 2017. In 2019, the Kansas City Star found that the firearm death rate in Missouri had risen 58% since 2007, when the state eliminated permit-to-purchase.

Meanwhile: How does the US compare to the rest of the world?

Bottom line: In terms of gun violence, you’re safer in California than you are in Texas. But you’re still safer in other countries than you are in California. That’s because, to quote UCLA law professor Adam Winkler, “California has the strictest gun laws in the US but some of the loosest, most permissive gun laws in the industrialized world.” And that explains why California still has mass shootings: Our strongest gun laws are still no match for those in Canada, the UK, Japan, Switzerland, or Israel, among others. Those countries are very careful who they allow to have guns and the screening process lasts many months. The only system that’s comparable is New York City’s gun permitting process, which is overseen by the NYPD.

How is pro-gun Texas handling the latest attack?

Abené Clayton is the lead reporter for The Guardian’s “Guns and Lies in America” team

Meanwhile: Texas officials seemed to be very loath to offer many specific details about the mass shooting at the shopping mall. What is going on here?

I believe that Texas—and most officials who are staunch gun rights and Second Amendment protectors—are working overtime to put distance between guns and the violence that we saw this weekend and continue to see daily. I believe that in addition to wanting to keep their voter base happy, many officials are genuinely afraid of armed resistance from extremists who own guns and are willing to die or create chaos if there is even a hint that there will be limitations put on gun ownership and retention.

I also think that the lack of acknowledgment of broader issues of gun violence is meant to maintain the narrative that mass shootings are the result of spiritual warfare or innate evil. Conveniently for officials, neither of these factors can be legislated so it gives them the opportunity to point to a reason for shootings but take no accountability for supporting and creating solutions that will keep people safe.

Meanwhile: If local state officials won’t enact measures to stop massacres – or at least try to – what are their obligations for example in doing something meaningful to address mental health problems that they always cite – or to help mitigate the trauma of the victims?

There are federal and some state victim assistance programs specifically geared toward people of mass violence and terrorism. (…) I think that state officials need to support, empower, and uplift survivors of mass shootings even though some become politically activated around issues—like red flag laws and assault weapon bans—that may not be palatable for right-leaning legislators’ bases.

Politicians like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz — both Republicans — and all the local and state officials that refuse to have good faith arguments about gun violence prevention solutions (outside of more police and school hardening) need to at minimum show genuine care to the people who lose loved ones and are irreparably injured following a shooting.

What happens next — will anything change?

Stephen Gutowski founded the “The Reload” — a subscriber publication set up to provide sober, informed reporting on gun ownership in the United States.

Meanwhile: Is there any chance that the country’s fractured politics can produce anything to stop this cycle of shootings?

There is broad agreement that more needs to be done to prevent mass shootings. The problem is that there’s little agreement between the parties on how to do that. Democrats generally favor broad gun restrictions and bans. Republicans generally favor stricter enforcement of current gun laws and mental health intervention. There is likely some crossover on either point among voters but little among their elected representatives.

If these high-profile killings continue to increase, and they are happening at a record pace this year regardless of what count you look at, it could increase pressure for new gun restrictions. That’s what led to last year’s federal gun-control law. But there’s little reason to think it could result in a new national ban on AR-15s or other firearms because there is no support for that among congressional Republicans, and there is unlikely to be even 50 votes for it in the Senate since some Democrats also oppose a ban.

Meanwhile: Where is the action to watch on gun policy legislation?

State-level policy is becoming increasingly polarized based on the prevailing politics in each state. Red states are focused on reducing attacks by making it easier for law-abiding citizens to obtain and carry guns. Blue states have turned increasingly to bans on “assault weapons” and ammunition magazines that hold a certain amount of ammunition. “Red Flag” laws that allow officials to temporarily seize guns from people determined by a judge to be a threat to themselves or others have mostly caught on in Democratic strongholds.

But Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee is attempting to address some of those concerns in a new proposal the Republican-controlled legislature is set to debate in a special session. If they can craft a policy addressing gun rights advocates’ concerns, that could create momentum for the policy in other states. That makes this gun policy debate the most noteworthy at the moment.

After scoring an NBA playoff career high, you would be correct in thinking Nikola Jokić would be the major talking point from Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns second round match-up – but not for the reasons you might have expected.

The Nuggets center scored a remarkable 53 points to go along with 11 assists as Denver fell to a 129-124 loss against Phoenix, but this is all secondary to the main incident from the game.

Late in the second quarter, the ball bounced towards the courtside seats with Suns wing Josh Okogie and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray looking to track it down.

The pair were unsuccessful in their attempts with Okogie flying into the front row; Jokić then trotted over to get the ball back in play for his team.

A fan appeared to hold on to the ball thwarting Jokić’s plans – but this was not just any supporter – it was Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia.

Jokić wrestled the ball out of Ishbia’s hands, sending it further into the crowd. The Suns owner then appeared to put his hand on Jokić who pushed back – resulting in the 43-year-old flailing back into his seat.

The two-time MVP received a technical foul for his part in the kerfuffle and could now face a suspension from Game 5 of the tightly contested series.

Jokić spoke on the incident postgame, saying Ishbia initiated the contact.

“He (crew chief Tony Brothers) told me I was elbowing the fan, but the fan put his hands on me first,” Jokić argued. “I thought the league is supposed to protect us – but, maybe, I’m wrong.”

The two-time MVP was then asked if he knew who it was on holding on to the ball and retorted: “He’s a fan, isn’t he? He cannot influence the game by holding the ball.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone was equally as nonplussed by whether it was a fan or an owner.

“I think it’s crazy that Nikola got a technical foul in that situation,” Malone added. “He is going to get the ball, and some fan is holding on to the ball like he wants to be a part of the game. Just give the ball up, man.”

Malone was then told who the fan was and replied: “I don’t give a sh*t. I really don’t care.”

Ishbia has since taken to Twitter to share his thoughts following the altercation, saying that he does not want the two-time MVP to be suspended for the incident.

The Suns owner tweeted: “Suspending or fining anyone over last nights incident would not be right. I have alot of respect for Jokić and don’t want to see anything like that.”

This incident has only added fuel to the fire in an incredibly tightly contested series and Denver fans will be sweating over Jokić’s availability in what will be a crucial Game 5 clash.

The two teams head back to Colorado to play again Tuesday looking to take an important 3-2 advantage into Game 6.

Spring’s severe weather season is in full bloom across the Midwest and Southern and Central Plains.

Over the weekend, more than 400 severe storm reports were recorded across the region, including hurricane-force wind gusts, hail the size of softballs, and a few tornadoes.

Thousands of people lost power Sunday morning after severe thunderstorms, which spawned two EF-1 tornadoes across southern Indiana, moved through the region. Duke Energy reported 17 poles were broken in Floyd and Clark counties during the storm.

Some of the same areas are at risk of seeing intense severe storms again today.

A Level 2 of 5 risk for severe storms has been issued across portions of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys where the main threats will be damaging winds and large hail. Some cities under threat today include St. Louis; Indianapolis; Cincinnati; Nashville, Tennessee; and Louisville, Kentucky.

Severe storms were already ongoing across this morning, causing more than 10,000 customers to lose power across Illinois, according to PowerOutage.us. More rounds of severe weather are expected later today.

This afternoon, storms will initially bring the threat of large hail the size of golf balls or greater, before transitioning into a damaging wind threat through the evening.

And although the severe storm environment is not favorable for tornado development, “there may still be an opportunity for a tornado or two with any supercell that can be sustained,” the Storm Prediction Center warned.

What is a supercell?

Ridge-riding storms

The storms on Monday are following a similar path to storms over the weekend.

An upper-level ridge of high pressure has settled in over the Gulf of Mexico and portions of the southern US. Under the area of high pressure, storms have trouble developing or sustaining severe levels due to sinking air, which inhibits thunderstorm growth. So instead, thunderstorms tend to “ride” or travel along the edges of the ridge, in this case impacting the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

Ridge-riding storms tend to affect the same areas over and over until the high pressure weakens or moves. And unfortunately for some areas where the stubborn pattern has been in place for the last few days, it is not expected to shift until the middle of the week or later.

“Training storms,” as meteorologists call them, bring the threat of flooding as heavy rain falls over already saturated soils.

The Weather Prediction Center has highlighted a large portion of the Midwest and Ohio Valley for flooding Monday, as they expect hourly rainfall totals of two inches per hour, with localized rainfall rates as high as 4 inches possible.

A flash flood watch is currently in effect for the city of Springfield, Illinois, until Tuesday morning due to flooding caused by an upstream dam release after heavy rain fell over the weekend.

Heavy rainfall of 3 to 7 inches fell Sunday across western and southern portions of Sangamon County, across the Lake Springfield watershed, which caused rapid rises on the lake, according to the National Weather Service office in Lincoln, Illinois.

Widespread additional rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are forecast across the Midwest and Ohio Valley through Tuesday.

Summerlike heat

Another byproduct of the high-pressure ridge is heat, building across the southern and central states.

“Temperature-wise, the warmest temperatures compared to normal will be most commonly found in the Nation’s Heartland and across the South,” the Weather Prediction Center said. “It will feel more like June from the southern High Plains to the Southeast coast through Tuesday as daytime high temperatures between 5 to 15 degrees above normal.”

High temperatures in the 90s will be felt across portions of Texas today and widespread 80-degree high temperatures will spread from the central Plains, across the Gulf Coast and into the mid-Atlantic.

By Tuesday, 90-degree temperatures will continue across portions of Texas and expand into Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

The heat will ease slightly by Wednesday, but above normal temperatures will persist across much of the eastern US through the end of the week.

Ecuador was known as the “isla de paz” – an island of peace – in the 1980s, when compared to its neighbors Colombia and Peru, some of the world’s biggest producers of cocaine.

But a deadly escalation of violence has upended that reputation in the past few years, as rights groups say the Andean nation has clocked some of the highest homicide rates in the region.

In April alone, the country has seen a prison riot, explosions in the port city of Guayaquil, and the slaying of at least nine people during an armed attack on a fishing port.

Civilians are finding themselves caught between criminal groups battling for control of the cocaine supply chain, which passes through Ecuador, according to Glaeldys González, an expert on organized crime at the International Crisis Group.

And Ecuadorian authorities have struggled to tackle this public security crisis “efficiently because it is mired in (a) political crisis,” González says.

Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso is at the center of this storm, and his popularity has tanked amid widespread discontent with spiraling crime rates.

“Lasso has not delivered” on campaign promises of lower taxes and more foreign direct investment, said Luis Ortiz, an Ecuadorian political analyst and development consultant. Nor has he been able to convey a successful strategy to stop the violence, he added.

Lasso faces an impeachment vote in the next few weeks over accusations of embezzlement before he took office by opposition legislators – allegations Lasso denies.

Dealt a bad hand

It was not always so hard for the self-made millionaire, who ran on a platform of liberal values before coming into power in 2021, promising more foreign direct investment and encouragement of entrepreneurship. He was lauded for a successful Covid-19 vaccination drive at the start of his term, enjoying high approval ratings at the time.

It went downhill soon after.

Lasso survived an impeachment attempt amid weeks-long protests over rising fuel and food prices last year, and his name emerged in the “Pandora Papers,” a 2021 expose of financial secrets and offshore dealings of dozens of heads of state and public officials.

Ecuadoran law prohibits public servants from holding assets in tax havens. Lasso told Ecuador’s legislative commission investigating him that he had not evaded taxes and that his tax trajectory was legally supported. The investigation was later closed by the comptroller’s office.

But opposition lawmakers have renewed their efforts to impeach him, and the President’s popular support is evaporating as crime skyrockets.

The dramatic rise in crime that has fueled anger at his government is a trend that predated his presidency. Before Lasso took office, Ecuador had already become a key transit hub for cocaine due to its location between Peru and Colombia, and the dollarization of its economy in 2000 made it an easy location to launder money, say analysts.

“The judicial system, the institution that oversees bank transfers and bank transactions – they don’t even have money to make photocopies, much less track transactions that could potentially be linked to organized crime,” he said.

Allegations of corruption have also marred the courts and police, with the US withdrawing visas from high-ranking officers of Ecuadorian state security forces, alleged to be linked to drug trafficking, and several judges and lawyers.

Lasso, who has a weak mandate in Congress and has struggled to build coalitions, has implemented several states of emergencies to tamp the bloodletting in the country, which has seen hundreds killed in brutal prison riots between rival gangs, to very little success, say critics.

His approach has become more haphazard following the second impeachment attempt. Last week, he declared organized criminal groups as terrorists, a move that empowered the military in pursuing gangs – despite allegations of corruption that cloud the security forces.

His embrace of his predecessor’s austerity package has seen Lasso incentivize the private sector to step in on security issues, which Ortiz described as being a disaster.

This includes Lasso’s recent authorization of civilians to use guns, a move which saw “private security companies (becoming) the first to raise their hand to say: ‘hey, no way, what we are seeing right now is criminals are more equipped than police,’” Ortiz said.

Fraying relationships

The mood further soured against Lasso this year when Ecuadorian media accused the president’s brother-in-law Danilo Carrera of corruption, including a cash for executive positions scheme and fake energy contracts. Ecuadorian prosecutors had opened an investigation into the fake energy contracts in January.

Following the report, Lasso asked prosecutors to investigate Carrera over his business and personal relationship with Ruben Cherres – whom authorities sought to arrest but was found murdered in late March. Lasso has rejected the existence of a corruption structure or network in his government.

The center-right leader is one of the few friends Washington has in the region, but even that relationship may be fraying.

While several US senators have lauded Lasso, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted the US’s strong partnership with the country during a 2021 visit. But in April, a group of eight US Congressmembers sent a letter to US President Joe Biden urging him to “re-evaluate our government’s close relations with the Lasso government” and look into the corruption allegations surrounding Lasso and his associates.

Lasso would be replaced by Vice President Alfredo Borrero if impeached, but he suggested to the Financial Times in April that it won’t get that far, saying he would invoke a constitutional clause that would force elections for his role and congress.

The gambit would see Lasso rule by presidential decree and hold elections in six months’ time, and critics can see why Lasso might be tempted to opt for the nuclear option.

“If the opposition’s got the 92 votes that they need to get rid of him, he’s going to press that button and give himself six months to find a way out,” said Guillaume Long, a former foreign minister for Ecuador who is now a senior policy analyst at the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

If early elections are triggered, the 67-year-old Lasso has said he will run again despite losing a lot of political capital. In February, opposition parties won key mayoral positions in Quito and Guayaquil and a Lasso-backed referendum on eight reforms, including allowing the extradition of criminals, failed.

As the clock runs on Lasso’s next move, violence and economic insecurity are leading more Ecuadorians to leave the country, with statistics showing thousands making their way north through the treacherous Darien Gap this year.

Whether we call them railways or railroads, we’re all familiar with the concept – big, heavy vehicles that can’t climb steep hills, running on two steel rails. That’s the pattern, right?

Well, railway technology is more versatile than you think. Over the last 200 years it has evolved to conquer cities, mountains, deep mines and some of the world’s most extreme climates. Here’s a selection of unusual railways that break the rules in order to reach the places other trains can’t roll.

Wuppertal Schwebebahn, Germany

If ever a railway was perfectly suited to its environment, it’s the legendary Schwebebahn monorail in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region. Built to link several industrial towns along the narrow, twisting valley of the Wupper river, the suspended monorail was completed in 1901 and was instrumental in the growth of the towns, which eventually merged to become the city of Wuppertal in 1929.

It might look unusual to visitors, but to the people of Wuppertal it’s the backbone of the city’s transit network, gliding up to 40 feet above congested streets to offer fast, direct journeys along an eight-mile route.

The single rails carrying the trains are supported by a series of 486 steel portals weighing almost 20,000 tonnes in total. More than 80,000 people a day are transported by 31 modern articulated cars traveling at up to 37 mph (60 kph). A replica of the vintage Kaiserwagen (Emperor’s Car) used by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1900 also operates on special occasions but is currently being restored; it’s hoped that it will return to service by spring 2024.

Stoosbahn, Switzerland

Current holder of the record for the world’s steepest public railway, Switzerland’s Stoosbahn opened in December 2017 and has become a global tourist attraction in its own right.

The unique cars with their rotating “barrels” allow passengers to stay level and travel serenely up the mountain at gradients of up to 110%. On a route of just over one mile (1.74 kilometers), the railway climbs almost 2,450 feet (744 meters) from the valley station in just five minutes.

Stoosbahn is far more than just a joyride though – it’s a vital lifeline for the car-free village of Stoos, which sits high on a mountain near the town of Schwyz, south of Zürich. Each car is fitted with three passenger “barrels” plus a further section for freight. Every year, up to 10,000 tonnes of freight is carried – essential supplies going up the hill to restaurants and hotels, garbage and recycling traveling back down. Up to 1,500 passengers an hour, plus their skis or snowboards, can also be carried – a 50% increase over the previous funicular railway.

Riding the Stoosbahn is a unique experience, even if you’re a connoisseur of mountain railways. The smooth transition from level to almost vertical happens very quickly and the view from the rotating cabins is exceptional. You’d have to be very jaded not to be impressed with such an astonishing piece of railway engineering.

Hythe Pier Railway, England

Pier railways were an attraction at several British seaside resorts in the 19th century, the most famous being the mile-long trip to the tip of Southend Pier on the country’s east coast – which you can still experience today. Most were built for pleasure, usually to save visitors a long walk back to shore.

Hythe Pier Railway, on the south coast of England, has always been a little different though; it provides a unique link between dry land and the Hythe Ferry, which has shuttled to and fro across Southampton Water since the Middle Ages.

The current pier opened in 1881 and a quirky 2,100-foot railway was added in 1909. It is the oldest continuously operating pier railway in the world. Wagons were initially propelled by hand but in 1922 a new narrow gauge electric railway replaced the original track. Two Army surplus electric locomotives, originally built to work in a World War I mustard gas factory, have worked the trains ever since.

The bizarre-looking locomotives continue to pull (or push) their weatherbeaten little coaches along the pier to meet every ferry to and from Southampton Town Quay, despite numerous threats of closure. Visit it while you still can.

Chongqing Monorail, China

Monorails have been around for more than a century and examples can be found all over the world, but they’ve never quite fulfilled the futuristic promises of their early promoters. That said, there are a few places where the unique qualities offered by monorails are ideally suited to their environment.

Chongqing in China is home to the world’s longest and one of its busiest monorail system, carrying millions of passengers a year on two high-capacity “straddle beam” lines totaling 61 miles in length. At just over 34 miles, Line 3 is also the world’s longest single monorail line with an annual ridership of around 250 million. Opened between 2005 and 2016, the two lines have 70 stations with a mix of underground and elevated sections. Famously, one section of Line 2 passes through the heart of a high-rise apartment block.

The city’s unique topography, with extreme differences in altitude between its densely populated mountain plateaus and the Yangtze and Jialing river valleys forced Chongqing’s transit authorities to seek an alternative to conventional metro trains. Monorail’s ability to negotiate steep climbs and tight curves made it the ideal solution when this megacity needed to transform its public transit system.

Ferrobus, South America

Is it a train? Or is it a bus? Neither, it’s a Ferrobus – a unique form of improvised transport found across mountainous regions of South America.

Combining old road bus bodies with rail wheels, these wobbly-looking contraptions are a lifeline for remote mountain villages lacking official road access. Using otherwise abandoned rail lines – often built in the 19th and early 20th century to exploit mineral deposits – Ferrobus routes can be found in Chile, Bolivia and Colombia, climbing high into the Andes.

Ferrobus trips are increasingly popular with tourists seeking an unforgettable experience, and likely wanting to avoid uncomfortable and often dangerous road journeys. Chile’s Gondola Carril from Los Andes to Rio Blanco, north of Santiago, operates purely for tourists, but others provide regular, if somewhat unpredictable, transport for locals and tourists alike.

Bolivia is arguably the epicenter of the Ferrobus world, with at least three routes, although there’s a constant risk of derailments, not to mention disruption from floods, rockfalls and extreme weather.

Riding a Ferrobus requires patience and stamina, but you’re guaranteed to return with some hair-raising stories to tell your friends.

‘Pokémon With You, Japan

Gotta catch ‘em all? Here’s one that will appeal to fans of Pokémon and trains. An otherwise ordinary Japanese local train has been dressed up to resemble the all-conquering franchise’s most famous character – Pikachu.

The bright yellow signature color dominates inside and out, with Pikachu motifs covering everything from floor to walls and curtains. One car has seating, while the second car has been fitted out as a fabulous mobile playroom for junior Pokémon trainers. During the two-hour trip from Ichinoseki to Kesennuma in the Tõhoku Region, children can play, nap and socialize with giant plush Pikachus or even pretend to drive the train.

Introduced in 2017 to put a smile on local faces after the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011, which also prompted the reactor meltdown in the neighboring Fukushima region, Pokémon with You is one of several “Joyful Trains” operated by railway company JR East. Ranging from traditional steam trains to luxurious, exotically decorated expresses between cities and resorts, they’re part of an incredibly rich and vibrant railway culture that attracts visitors from all over the world to Japan.

The Small Underground, Budapest

Which city is home to mainland Europe’s oldest underground railway? Paris? Berlin? Vienna? In fact, it’s the Hungarian capital Budapest, where line M1 has been operating since May 1896.

In the late-19th and early 20th centuries Hungary – then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – was a vigorous pioneer of new railway technology. This short (2.3-mile) line under Andrássy Avenue on the Pest side of the Danube river was only the third underground electric railway in the world, opening shortly after similar lines in London and Liverpool, England.

Like London’s tiny “tube trains” of the same era, the first tunnels in Budapest were built to an unusually small profile and the effects of that decision can still be encountered today on what the locals call “a kisföldalatti,” or “the small underground.” The original trains, more akin to freight cars fitted with wooden shelters, were replaced in 1973 when line M1 was rebuilt and extended, but a ride on M1 is still a very different experience from the city’s later metro lines with their wide-bodied trains and airy stations.

Thousand of people a day squeeze into the little yellow trains – a much higher ridership than when it was completed. But with its low platforms and short, angular trains, it’s very different to the usual city metro experience.

Glass Floor Hanging Train, China

Over the last two decades, China’s rail industry has become the largest and most varied in the world, helped by the astonishing expansion of the country’s high-speed network and global exports.

But there’s far more to China than sleek high-speed trains and megacity subways; the size and diversity of this enormous nation demands ingenious solutions to serve areas conventional trains can’t reach.

A unique example is the world’s first hanging monorail with a glass floor, now running in Sichuan Province. The Dayi Air Rail Project connects four stations at busy tourist spots over a seven-mile (11.5 kilometer) route in the city of Chengdu.

Unusually, the lightweight car bodies are constructed from carbon fiber and composite foam material. They are powered by rechargeable batteries with electricity from renewable sources. But the panoramic windows and transparent floor are their most spectacular features, allowing up to 120 passengers per trip a 270-degree view combining clean, efficient and quiet transport with a memorable sightseeing trip.

DMV Road-Rail Bus, Japan

Imagine a vehicle that can pick you up outside your home, drive to the nearest railway line, convert itself into a train and then switch back to drop you in the center of a nearby town. It may sound like a story from “Thomas the Tank Engine,” but that exactly what Japan’s DMV Road-Rail buses have been doing since they launched on Christmas Day 2021.

The buses, carrying around 20 passengers per trip, run a 30-mile route between the town of Kaiyo in Tokushima and the city of Muroto, Kochi Prefecture. Six miles of the route are along a rural railway line, with the rest in bus mode.

With a capacity of 23, including passengers and crew, the DMV is a diesel-powered bus fitted with a set of retractable rail wheels which can be deployed in about 15 seconds. Lighter than a traditional train, the DMV also consumes less fuel and is cheaper to maintain.

Billed as “the world’s first operational dual-mode vehicle,” it is actually the latest in a long series of similar experiments to improve rural rail services and reduce their costs. As far back as the 1930s, road buses were converted into railcars in Ireland and similar vehicles to the DMV were tested in England in the 1930s and West Germany in the 1950s.

Tokushima prefectural government hopes the DMV buses will become a tourist draw in their own right. It also believes that the vehicles could also be useful for reaching isolated communities in the event of natural disasters such as earthquakes, which can leave sections of roads or railway lines unusable.

Katoomba Scenic Railway, Australia

Not far from the wonderful city of Sydney is a railway experience unlike anything else in the world. Situated in the heart of the Blue Mountains, the Katoomba Scenic Railway is another contender for the title of the world’s steepest railway. But, unlike Switzerland’s Stoosbahn, this railway delivers a hair-raising descent down sandstone cliffs and through epic rock formations and tunnels perched over a stunning rainforest landscape.

Glass-roofed cars take up to 84 visitors per trip down the 52-degree (128%) incline, although if you’re feeling brave you can adjust the angle of your seat to the “Cliffhanger” position at 64 degrees. Fortunately, there’s also a “Laidback” option for the less adventurous.

The rope-hauled railway dates back to the late-1800s when it was part of the Katoomba mining tramways, but since 1945 the remaining line has been a thrilling tourist attraction. More than 25 million people have braved the trip since it opened and the latest generation of cars feature panoramic roofs, allowing visitors to get an even better view of the forest canopy and rock formations.