Domestic
The week before Labor Day is perhaps the busiest week of the year for the typically bleak Black Rock Desert, as that’s when their biggest event happens: Burning Man Festival, so named because of the large, human-shaped sculpture that is burned during the event. With a theme of “Tomorrow Today,” this year’s Burning Man drew tens of thousands of “Burners.” Ten total principles guide the festival: inclusion, gifting, decommodification, self-reliance, self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, “leaving no trace,” participation and immediacy. As part of self-reliance and decommodification, attendees must bring all necessary supplies with them, as vendors are not allowed on site. This year’s festival was notable for the longer-than-usual traffic, a damaging dust storm, the unexpected birth of a healthy baby girl and the discovery of a murdered man at one of the campsites.
For the second time in months, US-based airline Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as available cash runs low and losses mount. The airline faces “adverse market conditions,” including a decreased demand for domestic travel. Part of the cost-cutting attempts include furloughing roughly 270 pilots and demoting 140 captains to first officers. Already, since emerging from their previous bankruptcy restructuring in March, the airline has lost $257 million and borrowed up to its maximum credit limit of $275 million, a sharp contrast with its December predictions of a $252 million net profit for 2025. The airline has struggled to rebrand itself as a more premium option for travelers since the pandemic.
International
Late Sunday evening, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan’s eastern border region. The worst hit areas include the Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, with at least 800 confirmed deaths and more than 2,000 injured. At just five miles deep, the earthquake was relatively shallow, resulting in greater damage. Additionally, the earthquake happened at night, when most people were asleep, resulting in increased casualties. Rescue efforts have been impeded by the mountainous terrain, destroyed roads and a decrease in foreign aid. Rescuers have approximately 72 hours to rescue those trapped by rubble and transport them to a hospital before rescue turns into recovery. Hospitals are already overwhelmed, forcing injured patients to wait for care outside. The region is no stranger to devastating quakes, having been hit by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in June 2022, and a 6.3 magnitude quake on Oct. 7, 2023.
Three brothers from Scotland recently set a new world record for the fastest unsupported row across the Pacific Ocean. In the 139-day journey, Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan Maclean rowed over 9,000 miles, and faced storms, injuries and seasickness, all in a small carbon-fiber boat. Near the end of the trip, food became scarce and the trio had to rely on catching fish. Through their journey, the brothers were able to raise $945,690 for their charity, the Maclean Foundation, which aims to provide clean water to people living in Madagascar. Reflecting on the campaign, Jamie said that ocean rowing had given them a “new-found appreciation for things we used to take for granted– like going for a shower, lying in bed or simply leaning on something stationary.” The previous record was set by Fyodor Konyukhov in 2014, who crossed the Pacific Ocean solo in 160 days.
