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The Conversation UKflipped into Conversation UKChina has identified how to fight back against Trump’s tariffs, and is not ready to back down
US ports are now starting to see scheduled shipments from China decline as the result of Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese goods. The port of …
‘Time to part ways,’ Canadians react after Danielle Smith says Albertans are upset with election results
Canadians have mixed feelings after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith revealed that residents are upset with the election results and announced proposed …
New evidence suggests Trump’s presidency is failing by his own standards
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StringersHubflipped into StringersHub VideosSpain: Iberian blackout may have been caused by nuclear phase-out, cyberattack: Expert
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 30, 2025: A massive power outage that hit nearly all of Spain and Portugal on April 28 may have been caused by a cyberattack or the country’s withdrawal from nuclear energy, according to a top Spanish energy expert. Yolanda Moratilla, the chairperson of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources at the Engineering Institute of Spain, said the failure, which left around 60 million people without power for 10 hours, was “technically highly unlikely” and might never be fully explained. “This event was unprecedented in Europe,” she said, noting that it marked the first time the continent experienced zero electricity production for an extended period. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the national power grid operator REE have not provided a timeline for determining the cause. The European Commission’s Energy Union estimates it could take up to six months. Moratilla said the government and REE had previously claimed that such a blackout in Spain was impossible, but the April 28 incident proved otherwise. She said she had warned of this risk due to Madrid’s plan to shut down all nuclear power plants. She argued that Spain’s power grid depends on the rotational inertia provided by large steam turbines — typically in nuclear, hydro, coal, and gas plants. But with coal phased out and limited hydro capacity, shutting down nuclear plants has left the country reliant on combined-cycle gas plants, which she said are not enough to stabilize the system. - 15 gigawatts lost in 5 seconds Moratilla said the crisis was triggered by a sudden loss of 15 gigawatts of power — including 10 gigawatts of solar — within just five seconds. “The system lacked sufficient backup,” she said. The first part of the failure occurred within 3.5 seconds, and the grid could not recover. Nuclear plants had been allowed to stop operating due to low electricity prices, despite rules requiring two to remain online. At the time of the incident, no hydroelectric plants were operating, and combined-cycle units could not meet the demand. As the frequency dropped below safety thresholds, all generation systems shut down automatically to prevent damage. - Cyberattack possibility Moratilla said a cyberattack may have played a role, claiming that the technical sequence of the failure does not make sense. She criticized the Spanish government’s “ideological” stance against nuclear energy and said the blackout demonstrates the need to emulate France’s energy strategy instead. …
Republicans propose taxing EVs at 10x the rate gas cars pay, increasing deficit
Oil-backed House republicans have proposed putting a $200/year federal registration tax on EVs, with the false rationale that it will help to close a supposed budget shortfall that has in fact been caused by Congress’ refusal to raise the federal gas tax since 1993. The proposal was announced by the …
NBC Newsflipped into Top StoriesSome federal workers focused on 'black lung' screenings reinstated but still face June termination
A memo from the head of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said the reinstatements were only temporary, leaving the future of its programs in doubt. The Trump administration plans to terminate federal workers focused on preventing and responding to work-related illnesses, …
