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National Geographic
36 minutes ago
- Science
- National Geographic
A Swiss village was buried under a mountain. This town could be next.
In the past century, scientists have observed more rockfalls and avalanches in the Alps, a looming threat to nearby villages. In this aerial view, rubble and ice fill a portion of the Loetschental Valley following a landslide on June 3, 2025 in Blatten, Switzerland. Over 317 million cubic feet of rubble, mud, and ice fell on to Blatten on May 28. Photograph by Robert Hradil, Getty Images Last month, Lukas Kalbermatten-Ritler stood in a hamlet overlooking the small Swiss village of Blatten opposite the Birch Glacier, holding up his camera phone up in disbelief. 'It was like a bomb went off,' says Kalbermatten-Ritler, who's home and historic third-generation family-owned Hotel Edelweiss was destroyed on May 28. 'There were black rocks coming like a wall over the glacier, like it was a big hand taking the village. This was the moment I stopped filming. I didn't want to film when my village was falling.' It took 28 seconds for the landslide from the collapse of the glacier to cover 600-year-old wooden homes in one of Switzerland's oldest and most picturesque valley villages in hard brown, cold sandpaper sludge that will be sinking for years. The collapse was so powerful it registered as a 3.1 magnitude earthquake. It was a village that scientists never expected to see almost completely buried by 328 million cubic feet of falling rock and ice. Destroyed houses float in the water from the river Lonza that formed a lake beside the massive avalanche, triggered by the collapse of the Birch Glacier. Photograph by Michael Buholzer, Keystone/AP A house is submerged in water following a glacier collapse. Photograph by Michael Buholzer, Keystone/AP Yet there are others, like Kandersteg, a Swiss tourist town nine miles away that scientists watch anxiously. It sits in the shadow of an unstable cliffside called Spitze Stei could trigger a landslide with twice the ice and rock debris that flattened Blatten. Scientists say it should have fallen by now. 'We can't predict exactly when disasters like this will happen,' says Matthias Huss, senior glaciologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and director of the Swiss glacier monitoring network. Even with the best rockfall, landslide, and avalanche monitoring systems in the world, Alpine towns remain in uncertain danger. Magazine for all ages starting at $25/year In the worst-case scenario, over 700 million cubic feet of limestone and marl will come crashing down into Lake Oeschinen, itself a result of landslides 3,200 years ago. The splash would send a wave 2.5 miles into the center of Kandersteg, covering around 25 percent of the town, including hotels, homes, and the school. Other less-severe, likelier, models show smaller, still destructive debris flows surpassing safety dams built by the village, according to Nils Hahlen, head of the natural hazard division for the Office of Forest and Natural Hazards in the Swiss canton, or state, of Bern. The landslide that devastated the town of Blatten was unexpected. In other, nearby villages, scientists have identified unstable cliff faces that might trigger similar tides of rock, water, and debris in the future. Photograph by Michael Buholzer, Keystone/AP 'But mountain people are robust. They don't move out of their villages because of changing threats unless authorities decide it's too risky to stay,' says Markus Stoffel, a geomorphologist at the University of Geneva who grew up near Blatten and Kandersteg. Most of the town's 1,300 residents remain. On mountain watch Four hours into what was billed as a 'short' (eight-mile) hike, I rest on a mossy stump while my 75-year-old mountain guide smokes a pipe. Mountain guides don't eat much, Fritz Loretan tells me. He's also a man of few words (clocking it down the trail in loafer sneakers with no tread), and when he talks about the looming threat in Kandersteg, he explains: 'When you grow up in the mountains, then you are used to them, and you won't feel safe in other places.' In 2018, while paragliding over Spitze Stei, Loretan's friend saw 'a cut in the mountain,' and alerted authorities. Experts realized the outer rock section could fall at any moment. That was the year Spitze Stei became the most watched rock in Switzerland via high-tech drones, radar surveys, GPS, and cameras. 'At Spitze Stei the main water sources are snowmelt and rain. The exact amount of water in the mountain is one of the unknown factors,' says Hahlen. Since Earth's last ice age, rockfaces have been routinely dislodged from Alpine peaks as a result of natural movement. But in the past century, scientists have seen more rockfalls and avalanches. Glaciers and permafrost—the high-altitude frozen soil, rock, and sediment that acts like glue to hold the mountains together—are melting as a result of the warming temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions. A view of a landslide in Brienz, three days apart, from November of last year. As the region warms, ice and frozen soil are melting and unsticking the glue that once held parts of the mountain together. Photograph by Gian Ehrenzeller, Keystone/AP (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Gian Ehrenzeller, Keystone/AP (Bottom) (Right) As this icy glue melts, it allows water to penetrate cracks in the mountain, build pressure, and eventually rupture, triggering more frequent and severe landslides, rockslides, rockfalls, and avalanches, especially after intense rain and snow, another hazard of warming temperatures. 'In the next few years and decades, we expect an increase in risk from permafrost rock,' says Felix Pfluger, chair of landslide research at the Technical University of Munich. While catastrophic rock and snow fall can go virtually unnoticed in the remote regions of Alaska, Siberia, or northern Canada, they're an existential threat to many Alpine communities. The landslide that covered Blatten isn't the first tragedy in the Alps from a rockfall. This past June, residents of the Swiss village of Brienz/Brinzauls evacuated for the fourth time in two years from a rockslide threat (after debris stopped just shy of the village in 2023). Eight hikers and ten homes in the valley of Bondo didn't survive a devastating landslide in 2017. Stoffel says he expects more chain-reaction disasters with bigger consequences in the Alps—rock avalanches overloading glacier ice and causing it to liquify and slide down the slope, like in Blatten. His research shows 'a clear tendency for such [catastrophic chain-reaction] events to become more frequent in a warming world,' he says. '...especially after heavy rain.' A view of Kandersteg, Switzerland in October, 2023. While the region is being closely monitored, it remains safe. Photograph by Noemie Vieillard, Hans Lucas/Redux 'If you ask the older people in the village, they'll tell you there was always falling debris,' says Kandersteg's Mayor Maeder René-François. Growing up in Kandersteg, he remembers poking a pole into the cracks between ice and snow to search for bodies after an avalanche took out half a hotel in high season. There's a long history of rockfall and landslides, he says, as recent as 2023 and even this past May five died here in an avalanche. 'With climate change, it's happening faster. It rains harder, the days are hotter, and the fog sets in thicker over the mountain,' he says. 'But people here are not scared, it's life in the mountains. They respect that they must act in the correct way and follow the evacuation plan.' Since 2021, Kandersteg has enforced a ban on all new construction to minimize potential damage in the village district, closed a section of town, and built dams to reroute lake water. 'Big disasters normally start smaller. Instabilities with rock fall over a certain time start with cracks opening. A mountain doesn't just disappear out of the blue. There are always precursor signs,' says Stoffel. 'And if you take them seriously and observe the changes continuously, then, then you may not be able to protect the buildings or the village, but you can save lives.' While no one knows exactly when or what section of Spitze Stei will start sliding down the mountain, when it starts to crumble, residents and tourists should have at least 24 to 48 hours to evacuate. On a warm mid-June day, I followed tourists with hiking packs and poles to a mountain chalet built in 1880 and pulled up a lunch chair under an apple-red umbrella that matched a nearby Swiss flag and took in the brilliant turquoise of Lake Oeschinen–glistening and undisturbed by falling rocks, for now. Swimmers and paddlers snap selfies; a bride and groom pose by cows grazing near a roped-off section of the beach—their bells clanging measure with the chirping birds. 'None of them know they're right under it,' my server, David Brunoldi, told me when I asked him which rock is Spitze Stei. He points to the 9,800-foot frosty peak above us. 'More rocks are coming down every day.' Brunoldi says mountain people stay in Kandersteg for generations because it's home. On this picture-perfect, rugged Alpine terrain, where rockfall has always been a risk, his grandfather worked and died on a mountain train. Last year alone, an increasing 2.8 million cubic feet of rock crumbled down into the lake. 'No need to worry though, Brunoldi adds. 'It's not falling today.'
New York Post
an hour ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Maxwell Lewis becomes Nets roster casualty with historic draft class coming in
The Nets waived forward Maxwell Lewis on Friday, clearing up roster space after taking the biggest crop of first-round draft picks in NBA history. Lewis had initially arrived in the Dec. 29 trade that had sent Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers, but he immediately fractured his left tibia making a 3-pointer seconds into his New Year's Day debut. The injury stunted his opportunity to show what he could do, in the end averaging 5.3 points in 14.2 minutes over just 21 appearances. Advertisement 4 Maxwell Lewis (27) drives up the court during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center on April 6, 2025, in Brooklyn, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST But more importantly, Brooklyn had to make room for their huge incoming class of rookies. The Nets took five players in the first round of Wednesday's NBA draft, a league record. Two days later, they waived Lewis to clear the deck. Advertisement Those first-round picks, along with some other undrafted rookies, will be on display in a couple of weeks when the Nets head to compete in the Las Vegas Summer League. The schedule was released Friday, showing four games, though every team is guaranteed to play at least five tilts. 4 Egor Demin of the Brooklyn Nets speaks to the media after being drafted eighth overall during the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Getty Images Advertisement The Nets open up on July 10 vs. the Thunder (5:30 p.m., ESPN2). Then on July 13, they'll face the Wizards (8:00 p.m., ESPN2), on July 15 take on the rival Knicks (6:00 p.m., ESPN2), and then play the Magic the next night (7:30 p.m., ESPN). All times are Eastern, with the first two games at Thomas & Mack Center and the latter pair at the smaller Cox Pavilion. Then the Nets and other teams head into a tournament for the summer league title. Advertisement 4 Nolan Traore speaks during a Media Availability session prior to the 2025 NBA Draft at Lotte New York Palace on June 24, 2025, in New York City. Getty Images Brooklyn should contend for that with a team including first-round picks Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf. Late-season signee Drew Timme will play in the summer league per CBS Sports, while 2023 first-round pick Dariq Whitehead — who has seen his first two years slowed by injuries — presumably should be in the mix as well, along with several undrafted prospects. Six-foot-11 Alabama forward Grant Nelson and 6-foot-5 Oregon wing TJ Bamba will both join the Nets for the summer league. The former is in the mix for a two-way contract, per HoopsHype, while the latter is a Bronx native who was on the Big Ten All-Defensive team. 4 Maxwell Lewis was waived by the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Getty Images Sunday is the deadline for Brooklyn to pick up team options on Timme, Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin and Jalen Wilson, as well as make qualifying offers to Cam Thomas, Day'Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams in order to make them restricted free agents. Advertisement Without qualifying offers, they'll become unrestricted free agents. Timme can play with the Nets' summer league team even if Brooklyn doesn't pick up his team option.
The Hill
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Supreme Court keeps Texas age law
The Big Story The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Texas' age-verification law for porn websites is constitutional and does not violate the First Amendment. © Leon Neal, Getty Images In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring porn sites to verify that users are at least 18 years old. 'The power to require age verification is within a State's authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content,' Thomas wrote in the opinion. 'The First Amendment leaves undisturbed States' traditional power to prevent minors from accessing speech that is obscene from their perspective,' he added. 'That power includes the power to require proof of age before an individual can access such speech.' Friday's decision could pave the way for other states' age verification laws that restrict access to online porn; nearly 25 U.S. states have passed similar measures related to adult content, as technology increases minors' access to it. The Texas law, passed in 2023, also required sites to include a warning that pornography is 'potentially biologically addictive' and 'proven to harm human brain development, desensitizes brain reward circuits, increases conditioned responses, and weakens brain function.' Free Speech Coalition, a trade association representing the adult entertainment industry, sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). It argued the law violates the First Amendment by creating barriers for adults to access the websites. During oral arguments in January, the majority of justices suggested the concept of an age-verification requirement could survive First Amendment scrutiny, while still signaling they may send the case back to the lower court to consider the Texas law under a higher standard of review. However, the court ultimately determined the law only has to clear a lower standard of review, known as intermediate scrutiny, which it 'readily survives,' Thomas wrote. 'The statute advances the State's important interest in shielding children from sexually explicit content,' he continued. 'And, it is appropriately tailored because it permits users to verify their ages through the established methods of providing government-issued identification and sharing transactional data.' The case brought the explosion in online porn to the country's highest court, where justices took into account the technological shifts that have made adult content more accessible than ever. Read more in a full report at Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Miranda Nazzaro and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Senate parliamentarian greenlights AI moratorium again A provision that bars states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI) for a 10-year period can remain in President Trump's sweeping tax package, the Senate parliamentarian determined Friday. The decision, announced by Senate Budget Democrats, once again found the moratorium clears a procedural hurdle known as the Byrd Rule. The provision's future in the reconciliation bill appeared in danger Thursday, after Senate … Judge won't block DOGE access to sensitive government data A federal judge ruled Friday that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) can continue to access sensitive data on millions of Americans at certain agencies, handing at least a temporary defeat to the labor unions that have sued to block the practice. Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court in D.C. declined to grant the plaintiffs a preliminary injunction against the Department of Labor and the Department of Health … Mexico investigating contamination from SpaceX explosion debris Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday she was exploring legal repercussions for Elon Musk's SpaceX company after a rocket explosion scattered waste across the country. 'There is indeed contamination,' the leader said during a Wednesday press conference, pledging to file 'necessary lawsuits' in international court. Sheinbaum said Mexico is launching a general review of the damage and its impact. Gov. … Supreme Court upholds federal internet subsidy program The Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision Friday upheld a multibillion-dollar subsidy program that funds phone and internet services in rural areas and schools, rejecting a conservative group's claims that Congress delegated away too much power in setting it up. Established in 1996, the Universal Service Fund (USF) is intended to help the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accomplish its decades-long aim … The Refresh News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Crypto Corner UAE-based fund buys $100M in WLF tokens © AP Photo/Altaf Qadri Welcome to Crypto Corner, a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington. A fund based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has purchased $100 million worth of governance tokens from the Trump family's crytpo venture World Liberty Financial. Aqua 1 announced Thursday that it is making the multimillion-dollar purchase to 'to participate in governance of the decentralized finance platform.' 'We're excited to work hand-in-hand with the team at Aqua 1,' World Liberty Financial co-founder Zak Folkman said in a statement. 'Aligning with Aqua 1 validates our blueprint for global financial innovation, as we have a joint mission to bring digital assets to the masses and strengthen our nation's standing as a champion and leader of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology,' he continued. President Trump and his sons launched World Liberty Financial last fall. The crytpo venture has since unveiled a stablecoin that was used to complete a high-profile $2 billion transaction between an Emirati firm and the crypto exchange Binance. World Liberty Financial is just one of several new crypto endeavors from the president and his family, repeatedly drawing scrutiny from Democrats and watchdog groups. Trump launched a meme coin shortly before his inauguration and attended a dinner with the top investors in the $TRUMP token last month. The parent company of his Truth Social platform, Trump Media & Technology Group, has also raised $2.5 billion to create a bitcoin reserve and is preparing to launch several crypto-related financial assets. In Other News Branch out with other reads on The Hill: Liberal justices slam majority decision on porn age verification as 'at war with itself' The Supreme Court's three liberal justices dissented from the majority's decision Friday to uphold a Texas law requiring porn websites to verify user ages, slamming the opinion authored by Justice Clarence Thomas as 'at war with itself.' The court's six conservative justices ruled that the Texas law, which seeks to block children from accessing adult content online, did not violate the First Amendment. But the Democratic-appointed … What Others are Reading Two key stories on The Hill right now: 5 takeaways from the Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling The Supreme Court handed President Trump a clear victory Friday, stopping judges from issuing nationwide injunctions that block his executive order … Read more Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions; allows Trump to partially enforce birthright citizenship order The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines Friday allowing President Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship … Read more You're all caught up. See you next week! Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Lorde is a marketing genius and Virgin is her best album yet
Lorde performing on the Woodsies Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. Photo / Getty Images It was 11.30am BST when New Zealand's biggest indie pop star appeared at a secret set on the third day of the Glastonbury Festival in England on Friday.
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Tourists warned they face chaos on Spain's island holiday hotspots
Tourists warned they face chaos on Spain's island holiday hotspots The disruptioncould last through the peak holiday season Holidaymakers on a beach in Ibiza (Image: Getty Images ) Tourists face potential disruption with a threatened mass walk out by 180,000 hospitality workers. Popular holiday islands. Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca will be affected by the strikes, which could go on for weeks. Union bosses left a meeting about pay and working conditions, calling hospitality bosses' offer of an 11 per cent pay increase not sufficient. Discussions about cutting the working week to 35 hours also stalled after employers "categorically" turned down that suggestion, reports The Sun. UGT union spokesman Jose Garcia Relucio was reported as describing the offer as 'more crumbs'. He accused hotel bosses of expecting workers to survive on tips. He said after walking out of today's meeting: 'We'd come here to negotiate to improve the conditions of service industry workers, not to worsen them.' Many hospitality staff will walk out on July 10 unless a last-minute agreement is reached between employers and unions. The strikes could go on through the month with July 18, 19, 25, 31 confirmed protest days. José García Relucio, General Secretary of the Federation of Services, Mobility and Consumption of UGT, said the talks "could not have gone worse". He said employers were being inflexible on pay. Article continues below Javier Vich, President of the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca, said it was the fault of unions for not making a compromise. He said employers were making all the "necessary efforts" to "reach a fair" agreement with hospitality workers. Unions want a 16 per cent rise in pay for workers over three years. The strike comes during peak tourist season in the Spanish holiday islands. There have already been protests across Spain with hundreds of locals taking to the streets demanding an end to mass tourism. Thousands of people came out on the streets in the Canary Islands in May. There were protests on islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Protesters used the slogan: "The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are loved and defended". Some banners read: "The Canary Islands have a limit and so does our patience" and "Enough is enough!" Article continues below
