10.14.2024

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Columbus' DNA Analysis

Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, a 22-year forensic investigation has found. The results, announced Saturday, intend to put to rest the centuries-old mystery of the explorer’s origins.

Theories surrounding Columbus’ background have ranged from him being Italian, Portuguese, Basque, Greek, or Spanish. A team from the University of Granada sought to settle the question by collecting DNA samples from one of Columbus' suspected burial sites, Seville Cathedral. Researchers say they verified the samples against those of one of his brothers and his son, Hernando. The result indicates Columbus was a Sephardic Jew, with researchers positing he was born in the Spanish city of Valencia.

Since 1937, the US has marked today as a federal holiday, Columbus Day; the day is marked in nearly 200 cities and four states as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Learn more about the history here. See public opinion data here.

Sticking the Landing

SpaceX successfully completed the fifth test flight of its uncrewed Starship space vehicle yesterday, launching from South Texas and splashing down in the Indian Ocean after roughly one hour. It was the second successful launch, flight, and reentry for the world's largest and most powerful rocket. 

The demonstration showcased the world's first-ever "chopstick" landing, in which the 233-foot Super Heavy rocket booster used to propel the Starship into space was caught by two massive mechanical arms extending from the launch tower as it returned to Earth (watch here). The technique marks a major engineering milestone and furthers the company's goal of making its flagship rocket fully reusable, akin to airline operations. It will also significantly lower costs and turnaround time between launches. 

Starship is a key component of current NASA plans to return humans to the moon and prepare for an eventual mission to Mars—a journey CEO Elon Musk says could happen as soon as 2028. Learn about the history of SpaceX here (w/video).

US Deploys Defense System

The US is sending an air defense system to Israel, along with 100 US troops trained to operate it, the Pentagon said yesterday. The deployment comes after Iran launched around 200 missiles into Israel earlier this month in retaliation for assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, and as Israel has said it plans to respond.

The news also comes as Israel faces criticism after more than a dozen UN peacekeepers were injured in southern Lebanon, including in an incident yesterday (free w/email). The UN says Israeli tanks stormed a UN base, with nearby explosions later sickening the peacekeepers. Israel says Hezbollah targeted its forces with antitank missiles near the post and that Israeli forces had backed into the post to evacuate wounded soldiers.

Israel separately accused the UN peacekeeping mission of failing to demilitarize the area by allowing Hezbollah militants to operate nearby. The army pointed to tunnels roughly 300 feet from a UN compound (see more, w/video).

See updates on Middle East wars here.

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