By Jacopo Prisco, CNN

(CNN) — An asteroid roughly the size of one to two school buses will fly by Earth Monday, coming as close as 91,593 kilometers (56,913 miles), according to the European Space Agency — equivalent to about one quarter of the distance between Earth and the moon.

Astronomers at the Mount Lemmon Survey in Tucson, Arizona, discovered the asteroid on May 10 and named it 2026JH2. The object belongs to a class of asteroids called Apollo, which orbit the sun on trajectories that intersect with Earth’s own orbit around the sun.

At its closest pass, 2026JH2 will be about 24% of the average distance between Earth and the moon, and about two and a half times the distance at which hundreds of geosynchronous satellites orbit, providing services such as telecommunications and weather forecasts. The close pass is expected to occur on Monday just before 6 p.m. ET, according to NASA’s JPL Small-Body Database.

Despite the proximity, the space rock poses no danger, according to Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the inventor of the Torino Scale, a tool for categorizing potential collisions of space objects with Earth.

“2026JH2 will pass safely by the Earth,” he said in an email. “This is actually a rather normal occurrence, car-sized objects pass between the Earth and the Moon every week. At the size of a school bus, these pass through our neighborhood several times per year. We are only recently developing surveys that are sensitive enough to see them,” he added, noting that before these surveys, objects of this kind would simply zoom by completely unnoticed.

Exact size unknown

The asteroid originates from the asteroid belt, an area between Mars and Jupiter, Binzel explained. “Occasional collisions in the asteroid belt, plus gravitational tugs by Jupiter, can send small asteroids into Earth’s vicinity. This fact has been known for many decades and many thousands of asteroids that can pass near the Earth are already known.”

Even though astronomers have directly observed the object hurtling toward Earth, its exact size is unknown. The uncertainty is due to the fact that when an optical telescope sees a new object, the only information it gathers is the object’s luminosity in visible light. There is no way to know how much light the object absorbs or reflects, according to Patrick Michel, an astrophysicist and director of research at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France.

“Thus, at the same luminosity, an object can be bigger and darker, or smaller and more reflective,” he said in an email. “To know the size, we would need observations in the infrared, because the luminosity in the infrared is directly proportional to the size. But such observations are more difficult to do from the Earth and are not used to discover new objects.”

Based on assumptions about how much light is reflected, 2026JH2 is currently estimated to be between 15 and 30 meters (49 and 98 feet) in diameter. At the smaller end of that range, Michel said, it would be similar in size to a bolide, or fireball, that exploded in the atmosphere over the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, shattering windows and injuring 1,000 people. At the highest end of the range, it would be closer in size to an object that exploded near the Podkamennaya Tung

Por Brian Stelter, CNN

Stephen Colbert se despide con una sonrisa; y con muchas bromas a costa de CBS y su empresa matriz, Paramount.

Colbert se despide de “The Late Show” esta semana, ya que CBS pone fin a la icónica franquicia de televisión nocturna.

Muchos aficionados de “The Late Show” están decepcionados, incluso enojados, por la cancelación, dudando de la justificación de CBS para la decisión y creyendo que hay una política de apaciguamiento hacia Trump en juego.

“Tengo todo el derecho de estar molesto”, dijo el predecesor de Colbert, David Letterman, durante una visita de despedida al programa la semana pasada.

Pero mientras otros están indignados en su nombre, y la audiencia sigue debatiendo el final del programa, Colbert se mantiene positivo y transmite gratitud.

“Realmente me ha gustado trabajar con CBS”, dijo recientemente al The New York Times. “Han sido grandes socios. Y me gustaría terminarlo de esa manera… Me siento mucho mejor estando ‘agradecido por’ que ‘enojado por’”.

La principal preocupación de Colbert, como ha indicado en otras entrevistas, es el personal de “The Late Show”, que se quedará sin trabajo después del final de este jueves por la noche.

Las listas promocionales para la última semana contienen algunas pistas sobre los planes del programa.

El episodio de este lunes será “lo peor de ‘The Late Show’ con Stephen Colbert”, según el comunicado de prensa de CBS, que señala que “no es un programa de clips”, lo que significa que Colbert tiene material nuevo preparado.

El episodio de este martes contará con dos estrellas de primera línea, Jon Stewart y Steven Spielberg, además de una “actuación especial de David Byrne y Stephen Colbert”. Spielberg está comenzando una gira de prensa para su nueva película “Disclosure Day”, y Stewart es un amigo de toda la vida y socio productor de Colbert.

El episodio de este miércoles incluirá una actuación de Bruce Springsteen y una edición especial de “The Colbert Questionert”, un segmento recurrente de preguntas y respuestas en el programa.

Y el final de este jueves será una sorpresa: no se están promocionando invitados ni segmentos con anticipación.

Los principales rivales de Colbert, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” de ABC y “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” de NBC, emitirán repeticiones este jueves por la noche.

En una grabación de podcast con Kimmel, Fallon, Seth Meyers y John Oliver la semana pasada, Colbert alternó entre lo sentimental y lo sarcástico sobre el final de su programa.

También compartió que “mi hijo se gradúa de la universidad el 18; mi programa termina el 21; mi hermano se casa el 23. Así que, estoy como entre cosas que son, digamos, un poco más importantes; como, ya sabes, un poco de perspectiva”.

Colbert, de 62 años, ha dicho poco sobre sus planes públicos después de “The Late Show”, aunque está vinculado como guionista de una nueva película de “El señor de los anillos”, un trabajo soñado para uno de los mayores fanáticos del escritor J. R. R. Tolkien en la televisión.

En cuanto al aspecto de “quién lo hizo” respecto a la cancelación de su programa, Colbert dijo a The Times: “Es posible que dos cosas sean ciertas”.

Cuando CBS anunció el pasado jul

By Oscar Holland, CNN

(CNN) — One company sells millions of low-cost watches a year, the other makes luxury watches that have sold for millions. Together, Swatch and Audemars Piguet have sparked a “high-meets-low” retail frenzy that saw scenes of mayhem unfold in cities around the world over the weekend.

From Paris to Kuala Lumpur, long lines formed outside Swatch stores ahead of Saturday’s launch of “Royal Pop,” a series of cheerfully colored pocket watches modeled on AP’s iconic Royal Oak. Billed by the companies as “a disruptive collaboration between two icons of Swiss watchmaking,” hype around the long-anticipated collection exploded online after the designs were revealed last week.

But scenes turned ugly in several locations, with videos shared online showing fights breaking out and security guards struggling to contain large crowds.

In the US, 19 Swatch outlets were closed over safety concerns, and a police officer in Long Island, New York appeared to use pepper-spray on a crowd. Stores in several European cities were also temporarily shuttered, while Swatch preemptively canceled launch events in India and Dubai. Police in both the UK and US reportedly made arrests after crowds failed to disperse.

On Sunday, Swatch issued a social media statement urging customers “not to rush to our stores in large numbers,” citing concern for the safety of staff and shoppers. It added: “In some countries, queues of more than 50 people cannot be accepted, and sales may need to be paused.” On its website, Swatch meanwhile assured customers that the collection will “remain available for several months.”

Why the fuss?

The viral timepieces are designed in eight different colorways (from the monochrome “Ocho Negro” to the bright pink, yellow and teal “Otg Roz”) — a number referencing the Royal Oak’s distinctive octagonal case and eight-sided bezel. The pocket watches come with a calfskin lanyard, rather than a wrist strap, making them better suited to being worn around the neck or attached to a bag (earning them obvious comparisons to another recent viral craze: Labubu). In a joint press release, the two Swiss watchmakers boldly claimed the collection would “change the way we wear watches.”

Swatch’s policy of limiting purchase to one per customer did little to deter scalpers. The items immediately flooded resale sites over the weekend, with prices on watch marketplace Chrono24 ranging from around $1,200 to almost $6,000, at the time of writing.

Like other “high-low” collaborations — from Stella McCartney working with H&M to JW Anderson’s Uniqlo collections — the pitch to customers is clear: A chance to own an exclusive brand that might otherwise be out of reach. Costing either $400 or $420, depending on the model, Royal Pop offers an affordable take on an AP watch that typically costs — on the lower end — tens of thousands of dollars.

The appeal for Swatch is also self-evident. As well as attracting huge foot traffic to its stores, the company’s brand benefits from its association with one of the Switzerland’s most storied watchmakers. Parent company Swatch Group’s share price has jumped 15% in the last two weeks.

But what does Audemars Piguet stand to gain from the partnership?

Founded in 1875, AP is known for producing highly complex horo

By Arlette Saenz, CNN

Milton, Georgia (CNN) — Brian Kemp may not be running for US Senate — but the Georgia governor is campaigning like his name is on the ballot.

“I want to win our Senate seat back,” Kemp told voters at a bike and coffee shop here just days ahead of Tuesday’s primary. “We haven’t done so well in US Senate races here in the state of Georgia in the last several cycles, and we have one more opportunity to try to get one of our Senate seats back. And we got to have the right person to do that.”

National Republicans long viewed term-limited Kemp as their strongest candidate to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, but the governor passed on the opportunity last May after months of private lobbying by GOP leaders. Now, Republicans are grappling with a splintered field in Georgia that some worry could hinder their chances of flipping the seat in November and boost the Democrats’ chances of winning the majority in the Senate.

The right person, Kemp believes, is Derek Dooley — a former head football coach at the University of Tennessee. He’s running against two MAGA-aligned congressmen — Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a June 16 runoff.

For Kemp, Tuesday’s primary will offer a major test of his political influence with Republican voters in Georgia.

“Our best opportunity to beat Jon Ossoff is to have a true political outsider that can grow the party, be bringing people to our side in November,” Kemp said in a joint interview with Dooley at a sporting goods store in Douglassville.

Asked whether he feels like his name is on the ballot given his heavy involvement in the race, Kemp said, “A little bit.”

Investing time and money

Kemp and his wife, Marty Kemp, have campaigned with Dooley across the state for months, including in the population-rich Atlanta metro area in the final days of early voting.

Kemp’s PAC, Hardworking Americans Inc., reserved a million dollars in advertising to bolster Dooley in the final stretch of the primary, according to data from the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, including a spot featuring the governor personally asking voters to “send Derek Dooley to the US Senate.”

Kemp’s popularity with Republicans in the state has endured throughout his two terms as governor. In 2022, he easily defeated a primary challenge against a candidate backed by President Donald Trump, who lashed out at Kemp for refusing to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the state. The governor has an 85% approval rating among likely GOP primary voters, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll conducted last month.

It’s unclear whether Kemp’s goodwill among Republicans can translate into support for his preferred candidate.

A recent AJC survey found Collins at the top of the primary pack with 22% as

Por Matt Egan, CNN

La crisis energética es una pesadilla financiera para Main Street y una pesadilla política para la Casa Blanca.

La inflación está volviendo, los salarios reales se están reduciendo y los votantes culpan al presidente Donald Trump por tener que pagar la gasolina a US$ 4,50 el galón.

Trump ahora enfrenta un momento decisivo para evitar que los precios de la gasolina superen los máximos históricos de la era Biden.

Sin embargo, Trump ya ha tomado medidas de emergencia diseñadas para limitar el daño. Su administración está extrayendo petróleo de las reservas de Estados Unidos al ritmo más rápido jamás registrado. Se han eliminado las restricciones de envío. Se han suavizado algunas sanciones a Rusia y Venezuela.

Si bien se han planteado otras ideas, como suspender el impuesto federal a la gasolina, la realidad es que a Trump solo le queda una palanca para reducir los precios de la gasolina: reabrir el estrecho de Ormuz, de una forma u otra.

“Es muy poco lo que la administración puede hacer”, dijo Jan Stuart, estratega energético global de Piper Sandler.

Por eso Stuart prevé que la crisis energética empeore esta primavera y verano, elevando la gasolina a US$ 5 el galón tan pronto como este mes.

Stuart espera que los futuros del crudo Brent promedien US$ 130 por barril el próximo trimestre, rompiendo el récord trimestral anterior, y se mantengan cerca de US$ 100 el próximo año.

La Casa Blanca destacó las medidas que Trump ha tomado para abordar la agitación en los mercados energéticos, incluida una exención de 60 días de la Ley Jones.

“El presidente Trump siempre ha sido claro en que se trata de interrupciones temporales a corto plazo. El presidente redujo los precios del petróleo y el gas a mínimos de varios años a una velocidad récord, y a medida que el tráfico en el estrecho de Ormuz se normalice, estos precios de la energía se desplomarán una vez más”, dijo la portavoz de la Casa Blanca Taylor Rogers en un comunicado.

Trump recientemente respaldó suspender el impuesto federal a la gasolina de 18,4 centavos por galón.

Sin embargo, una exención del impuesto a la gasolina que cubriera la temporada de conducción de verano de 122 días le costaría al Fondo Fiduciario de Carreteras US$ 11.500 millones en ingresos perdidos sin brindar un alivio significativo a los consumidores, según un análisis del Penn Wharton Budget Model, un grupo de expertos no partidista.

Incluso llenar un tanque de gasolina de 15 galones una vez por semana solo ahorraría un total de US$ 35 durante la pausa, encontró el análisis.

Una exención del impuesto a la gasolina “impulsaría la demanda de combustible en un momento de escasez de oferta”, según Jason Bordoff, director fundador del Centro de Política Energética Global de la Universidad de Columbia.

En otras palabras, es exactamente lo contrario de lo que se necesita.

No es de extrañar que en 2022 los republicanos de la Cámara de Representantes desestimaran la exención del impuesto a la gasolina como un “truco”. Lo mismo hizo el entonces candidato Barack Obama en 2008, después de que Hillary Clinton y John McCain respaldaran una suspensión del impuesto a la gasolina.

“Es un truco. Tenía razón”, dijo a CNN Mark Zandi, quien fue el principal asesor económico de McCain en la campaña presidencial de 2008 y ahora es el economista jefe de Moody’s Analytics, sobre los comentarios de Obama.

Algunos legisladores han pedido que la administración Trump considere la opción “nuclear”: restringir o incluso prohibir las exportaciones estadounidenses de petróleo crudo, gasolina y otros productos derivados del petróleo.

Si bien algunos analistas admiten que los precios de la gasolina en Estados Unidos podrían caer rápidamente si se prohíben las exportaciones, sospechan que la caída sería fugaz y que la medida extrema desestabilizaría aún m