Seven Alien 'Earths' Found Orbiting Nearby Star

The Earth-size worlds orbit a star just 39 light-years away, and most may have the right conditions to host liquid water on their surfaces.

ILLUSTRATION BY M. KORNMESSER, SPACEENGINE.ORG/ESO

Seven rocky planets orbiting a nearby star may be roughly the size of Earth and could even be right for water—and maybe life—to adorn their surfaces, researchers announced Wednesday.

The planets, which circle a star called TRAPPIST-1 just 39 light-years away, are tucked together so tightly that they routinely spangle each others’ skies, sometimes appearing as shimmering crescents and at other times as orbs nearly twice as large as the full moon.

“The spectacle would be beautiful,” says the University of Cambridge’s Amaury Triaud, coauthor of a study describing the otherworldly heptad that appears in the journal Nature.

The TRAPPIST-1 system is now tied with several others that have seven planets for the greatest number of planets in a stellar system other than our own (which has eight, not counting dwarf planets like Pluto). The system’s existence suggests that Earth-size planets are much more plentiful than previously imagined.

And now, it’s among the best neighborhoods to study for signs of life beyond Earth: The relative sizes of the planets and star, plus the system’s proximity, mean that plucking the signatures of living, breathing organisms from the planet’s atmospheres could be within reach.

Banned From U.S.: ‘You Need to Go Back to Your Country’

Social media shook with emotion. Headlines shouted the news. Legal scholars debated the order’s scope. But the most immediate effect of President Trump’s executive order barring refugees from entering the United States and halting entry from seven predominantly Muslim countries could be quantified on a human scale: refugees and other immigrants from the seven countries, some on their way to the United States on Friday when Mr. Trump signed the order, who were no longer able to enter the United States.

Here are some of their stories.

Hameed Khalid Darweesh, Iraq

Mr. Darweesh, a husband and father of three who worked for the United States military in Iraq for about a decade, was detained after arriving at Kennedy Airport on Friday night. He was granted a special immigrant visa on Jan. 20. When he filed for it, he said he had been directly targeted because of his work for the U.S. as an interpreter, engineer and contractor.

Although Mr. Darweesh’s wife and children were allowed into the country, he was initially detained. Mr. Darweesh was released on Saturday after lawyers filed a writ of habeas corpus in federal court seeking freedom for him, as well as for another Iraqi who was detained at the airport.

With - now released - Iraqi Refugee blocked by Trump’s order at JFK. Working w/@NydiaVelazquez to help 11 more refugees still being held. pic.twitter.com/8HF7jmBdvQ

— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) January 28, 2017

Speaking to reporters and some protesters who gathered outside Kennedy Airport, Mr. Darweesh called America the greatest nation in the world and said he was thankful for the people who had worked on his behalf. “This is the humanity, this is the soul of America,” he said. “This is what pushed me to move, leave my country and come here.”

NETFLIX IS KILLING IT—BIG TIME—AFTER POURING CASH INTO ORIGINAL SHOWS

NETFLIX

ORIGINAL CONTENT IS paying off for Netflix in a big, big way.

The company just recorded the biggest quarter in its 19-year history, handily beating Wall Street’s expectations while adding a record 7.05 million subscribers. That’s almost two million more new viewers than even Netflix expected, with a fair number of them overseas. The earnings results capped a banner year that saw Netflix launch its streaming service in 190 countries one year ago. Already, 47 percent of its subscribers live somewhere other than the US.

Sales, too, rose—36 percent over the same period last year, to $2.48 billion. Shareholders loved all this good news and boosted Netflix stock 8 percent to an intraday high of $143.46 on Thursday, one day after Netflix’s report dropped. The company’s now worth about $60 billion.

All of which is to say, Netflix is killing it—thanks to its enormous investments in original content. And Netflix is finally getting to reap the rewards from those investments.

“There seemed to be an attitude around the industry that after House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, there was no way Netflix could catch lightning in a bottle again,” says Glenn Hower, a senior digital media analyst with research firm Parks Associates. “Well, after cranking out more hits like Luke Cage, Stranger Things and The OA, it looks like the streaming giant really knows what they are doing in the content creation space.”

That’s for sure. In 2016, Netflix spent $5 billion on original programming. Five of the 10 shows people searched for most often last year are Netflix originals, company officials said, citing Google data during an earnings call. Eager to build on that, Netflix plans to spend $6 billion creating 1000 hours of new content this year, more than doubling its 2016 lineup. At this point, it’s clear Netflix isn’t just a streaming service anymore. “For many millions of consumers around the world, Netflix has already become television,” says Tony Gunnarsson, a television analyst with Ovum.

Why American Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas

A lack of dining options may have started Jewish Christmas, but now it's a full-fledged ritual.

Kent Wang / Flickr

If there’s a single identifiable moment when Jewish Christmas—the annual American tradition where Jews overindulge on Chinese food on December 25—transitioned from kitsch into codified custom, it was during Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan’s 2010 confirmation hearing.

Only the hardiest remain at Dakota protest camp

A couple of the remaining activists that are left grappling with plunging temperatures that make conditions there more difficult at the protest camp in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, December 14, 2016. Picture taken December 14, 2016. REUTERS/Valerie Volcovici

Two weeks after a victory in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, most protesters have cleared out of the main protest camp in North Dakota - but about 1,000 are still there, and plan to remain through the winter.

These folks say they are dug in at the Oceti Sakowin Camp in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, despite the cold, for a few reasons. Most are Native Americans, and want to support the tribal sovereignty effort forcefully argued by the Standing Rock Sioux, whose land is adjacent to the pipeline being built.

Others say they worry that Energy Transfer Partners LP (ETP.N), the company building the $3.8 billion project, will resume construction without people on the ground, even though the tribes and the company are currently locked in a court battle.

Future decisions on the 1,172-mile (1,885-km) pipeline are likely to come through discussions with the incoming administration of Donald Trump, or in courtrooms.

“I’ve seen some of my friends leave but I will be here until the end and will stand up to Trump if he decides to approve the permit,” said Victor Herrald, of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, who has been at the camp since August.

Gundlach says brace for turmoil if 10-year yields top 3%

An earlier version of this article incorrectly said DoubleLine Capital’s Jeff Gundlach forecast that yields on the 10-year Treasury note will reach 3%. Gundlach said the market would be hurt if yields reach or exceed 3%.

Jeffrey Gundlach, founder and chief executive officer of DoubleLine Capital.

Wall Street investors have largely ignored the recent carnage in the bond market, but they could face a rude awakening next year when Donald Trump takes over the U.S. presidency, warns bond guru Jeffrey Gundlach.

In a webcast presentation on Tuesday, the DoubleLine Capital chief executive said if yields on the 10-year U.S.Treasury note TMUBMUSD10Y, +0.00% jump to 3% or higher , as inflation rates and government debt start to rise under a Trump administration, equity and fixed-income markets could be hurt.

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“We’re getting to the point where further rises in Treasurys, certainly above 3%, would start to have a real impact on market liquidity in corporate bonds and junk bonds,” he said in the presentation, according to Bloomberg.

Terminally ill boy dies in Santa's arms

(CNN) - Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist Sam Venable knew he'd found a sad story, but he didn't know just how many hearts it would break.

Venable's column about a terminally ill 5-year-old boy dying in Santa's arms has spread everywhere since its publication Sunday in the Tennessee newspaper. Among other things, it nails the emotional richness of the holiday season.

"I've gotten a big response to this," Venable told CNN. "People have told me that they were crying when they read it, and I tell them that I was crying when I wrote it."

It all started several weeks ago when Eric Schmitt-Matzen, the Santa in Venable's column, got a call after work.

Mother and son charged with incest are unapologetic and ‘madly in love’

Caleb Peterson, left, and Monica Mares, right, are charged with incest in New Mexico. The Associated Press

Monica Mares and Caleb Peterson say they are in love with each other.

She is his mother. He is her son.

The state of New Mexico, where they live, calls their sexual relationship incest and has charged both with the crime.

They face separate jury trials over the next few weeks — Peterson on Aug. 25, Mares on Sept. 16. They’ve been banned by the courts from having any more contact with each other.

But the two are unapologetic about their relationship and have been talking to the media to explain it.

They’ve been subject to scorn since their secret love became public in February. Mares says she’s been attacked outside her home and has received death threats. People call her “Incest.”

On Facebook, people have accused them of having a “disgusting” and “gross” relationship.

The prosecutor for the case says she has heard no sympathy for Mares and that people tend to see Peterson, 19, as a victim.