Latest news with #RyanFrench
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
How Trump's NEA grant cuts could impact Twin Cities theaters
How National Endowment for the Arts cuts may impact Minnesota theaters How National Endowment for the Arts cuts may impact Minnesota theaters How National Endowment for the Arts cuts may impact Minnesota theaters A real-life financial drama is playing out at several Twin Cities theaters as the Trump administration says it's pulling National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants to fund projects that reflect "creativity as prioritized by the President" instead. For 50 years, Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside neighborhood has used the arts as a means to achieve social justice-related goals. But their nearly $100,000 in promised grant funding from NEA had been terminated. "I think it's decimating," Valdez said. "We were bracing for the punch, but the punch still hurts." Of that money, $75,000 was set to fund their Warroad Community Potluck show, set to be performed in the northern Minnesota town. Without the funding, Valdez says the show will be missing half its budget. "We have to figure out where that money comes from," Valdez said. Children's Theatre Company was also a victim of the grant terminations, losing upwards of $40,000 to $50,000 in NEA grant money. "Receiving this letter was a real blow to us," said Ryan French, the theatre's managing director. In fact, $40,000 of NEA funds went to their show, "Milo Imagines the World." French says they're still thinking through what changes the theater will face. "It's certainly going to make us take some tough choices going forward," French said. The same goes from Valdez and Mixed Blood. "I think we're all going to feel the impact. I think we're going to see fewer work, we might see companies folding," Valdez said. Despite the news, Valdez says the show must go on, continuing their mission of achieving justice for all Minnesotans. "We will probably have to adjust the kinds of projects that we do, but we're going to keep our doors open," Valdez said. "We're going to be a beacon for our community. We're not going to stop, we're just going to keep going." A Children's Theatre Company spokesperson says they're still trying to understand what they call the "many unclear elements" of the letter they received, including any processes for appeal.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA video of puzzling 'orb' soaring past sun sparks 'crazy' UFOs theories from viewers
A NASA video of a puzzling 'orb' soaring past the sun has been captured. The footage has sparked some 'crazy' UFOs theories from viewers who spotted the strange object. NASA released the video of the sun which has since gone viral after it showed a large 'orb' traveling past. This has captured the imagination of viewers with some conspiracy theorists claiming that it could be a UFO. This has been argued due to the fact that the object 'stopped, hovered for a bit, moved closer to the sun' and then disappeared completely. Many people have taken to social media to share their own reactions to the video. While some speculated that the orb could be the moon, one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: 'Bro that's not the moon. I was watching the moon in the sky and it didn't do this.' Another said, 'I wonder if that was the cause of this', sharing an article of the recent power outages in Spain and Portugal. And a third person added: 'I guess we'll just have to settle for no answers — and watch this get swept under the rug, just like the obvious UAPs we see every day.' The video in question was captured on Sunday (April 27) from the GOES-19 satellite's CCOR-1 instrument, which is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The purpose of the shot was to record solar activity happening last week and it's bad news for UFO fans, because it looks like there is a rational explanation for the 'orb'. While it was always highly likely that the object would simply be space debris or an instrument artifact rather than extraterrestrial life, it looks like it isn't either of those things. Instead, it was the moon eclipsing the sun in 'lunar transit', which is something that is only visible in space. NASA has been closely monitoring the sun's activity as it reached its solar maximum which is the time where it experiences its greatest solar activity. The surge has resulted in solar storms and made the northern and southern lights visible in places where they are not usually spotted so easily. Now that the sun has reached the end of its 11-year cycle, its magnetic field will flip, beginning its shift toward solar minimum, which hasn't happened since 2013. It's not immediate but instead is a gradual transition, as Ryan French, who is a solar astrophysicist and contributing writer, spoke to and said: 'In short, there is no specific 'moment' in which the sun's poles flip. It's not like the Earth, where the flip is measured by the migration of the North/South pole.'
Boston Globe
28-03-2025
- Science
- Boston Globe
A partial solar eclipse takes place at sunrise Saturday. Here's what you need to know.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on the Earth. But because all three are not perfectly lined up, only a part of the sun will appear covered, giving it a crescent shape. Advertisement The eclipse will begin at 6:30 a.m. and end around 7:10 a.m. The Boston area would normally see 'about a 43 percent eclipse, where the sun takes on a crescent shape at sunrise,' said Ryan French, a solar astrophysicist at the National Solar Observatory in Boulder, Colo. What will the weather be like? As of Friday morning, Forecast cloud cover around sunrise on Saturday. TropicalTidbits Silas Laycock, an astronomy professor at UMass Lowell, said if you want an even better view, head north. 'If you can travel, it's worth it. Heading north will dramatically improve the experience,' Laycock said. In Downeast Maine, he said, the sun will be 'about 80 percent covered, and further up in Quebec, it'll reach up to 93 percent.' Sunrise will be around 6:20 a.m. in Downeast Maine. However, the clouds will likely obscure any view of the eclipse. Safety glasses are a must Keep in mind that you must use safe eclipse glasses to view the eclipse. Advertisement This partial eclipse will also be visible in Europe, parts of Asia, Africa, South America, and the Arctic. The next partial solar eclipse on Sept. 21 won't be visible in North America, so those who miss this weekend's spectacular event will have to wait until Aug. 12, 2026, when the Northeast will be able to catch a partial solar eclipse. Unfortunately, an eclipse on the scale of the Left to right, a total solar eclipse; an annular 'ring of fire' eclipse; and a partial solar eclipse. NASA/Joseph Matus/Bill Dunford/Bill Ingalls Here are other noteworthy celestial phenomena to catch this year: Planetary Alignment — April 12–18 You've probably heard the idiom 'when the stars align,' but this astronomical spectacle will include three planets near the horizon during the early morning. 'Around April 15, just before sunrise, several planets - Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - will be visible in a line above the eastern horizon,' said Paul Withers, a Boston University astronomy professor. It will appear that the planets are right next to each other, but they are not. 'Planets move through the sky in a predictable path because they all orbit the sun in roughly the same flat plane. When we see them clustered together, it's simply a matter of perspective - though they appear close in the sky, they're separated by vast distances in space,' Withers said. Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower — Peak May 5 If you are down on your luck, early May might be the time to wish upon a shooting star as you might see up to 50 per hour during the Eta Aquarids meteor shower. According to NASA, the types of meteors associated with this event are called 'earthgrazers' because they are long and appear to skim the Earth's surface at the horizon. Advertisement 'The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is linked to Halley's Comet, the first comet recognized as having a repeating orbit around the sun,' said Withers. This photo provided by NASA shows an Eta Aquarid meteor streaking over northern Georgia on April 29, 2012. B. Cooke/Associated Press Despite its famous origins, it doesn't mean this show will be better than other meteor showers. 'It's a neat connection to a famous comet, but in terms of spectacle, this meteor shower is neither better nor worse than others,' Withers added. The Eta Aquarids are viewable in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the pre-dawn hours. Halley's Comet was last seen in Earth's skies in 1986 and will return in 2061 on its regular 76-year journey around the sun. In 1986, the European spacecraft Giotto became one of the first spacecraft to encounter and photograph the nucleus of a comet, passing and imaging Halley's nucleus as it receded from the sun. NASA/Giotto Project, ESA Perseid Meteor Shower — Peak Aug. 12-13 If you miss the Aquarid meteor shower, you will have another opportunity to marvel at sand-sized comet debris busting through Earth's atmosphere at 45 miles per second and lighting up the night's sky. 'The two best meteor showers of the year are the Perseids in August and the Geminids in December, both of which tend to be brighter and more active,' said French. Every Perseid meteor is a tiny piece of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which swings by the sun every 135 years. The Perseids last from July 17 to Aug. 23 each year but peak Aug. 12 to 13. 'With meteor showers, patience is key. Bring a blanket, head somewhere dark, and expect to wait between sightings,' French said. 'While numbers like '100 per hour' are often reported. In reality, you might see 10 notable meteors in an hour.' Advertisement If you live in a big city, those numbers are drastically lower due to light pollution limiting the number of meteors you can see. Geminid Meteor Shower — Peak Dec. 13-14 Jackson calls the Geminid meteor shower, one of the brightest, 'the best of the year.' 'Unlike the Perseids, the Geminids' radiant point is high in the sky all night long, meaning you don't have to wait for it to rise,' Jackson said. The Geminids are quite prolific and fast. They can be viewed from Dec. 1 to 21, but during its peak, 120 meteors that give off a yellowish color can be seen per hour under perfect conditions, according to NASA. The reason this celestial phenomenon is often more popular than others has to do with the time of year, near the holidays. Chris Gloninger is a meteorologist and a senior climate scientist at the Woods Hole Group.
