Zebra That Galloped Through Seoul’s Streets Has a Heartbreaking Backstory
The death of a parent can be heartbreaking. For Sero the zebra, the loss even changed his personality, according to his zookeepers.
On Thursday, the male equine—born in 2021—was found trotting around the South Korean capital Seoul, shocking passersby. His escape from the Seoul Children’s Grand Park was widely reported in the country, as videos of Sero running down brick alleys and swerving cars on a busy road went viral on social media. After a three-hour chase, he was brought back to his pen.
But Sero wasn’t always this unruly, zoo officials said.
According to a video published by the zoo, the animal’s behavior began changing when Sero lost his parents in 2021 and 2022. He had tried to fight the kangaroo in the neighboring pen, kicking and head-butting the fence that divided them. Sero also began refusing to eat apples and carrots, food he loved.
Sero’s behavior after experiencing loss would not surprise animal researchers, who have found that animals are capable of experiencing grief and that it could manifest as changes to their appetite, sociability, sleep, and stress.
In 2018, researchers observed a mother killer whale carrying her dead calf for 17 days, trying to keep her decomposing newborn afloat. Horses, which are closely related to zebras, have been found to show signs of grief by vocalizing and searching for the missing horse. Another paper published in 2010 observed chimpanzees grieving infants by carrying their bodies, grooming the corpses and showing distress when they were separated.
Love and care from zookeepers seemed to help Sero make a recovery, the zoo said. So when he broke the wooden fencing around his enclosure and escaped on Thursday afternoon, he shocked zoo officials, newspaper the Korea Times reported.
After Sero was reported missing on Thursday afternoon, fire fighters, police officers, and zoo officials began searching for the zebra. He was spotted poking his nose in trash and galloping down pedestrian streets.
About three hours later, the equine was cornered by officials after he ran into a narrow alleyway. He was then tranquilized and taken back to the zoo in a truck. To prevent Sero from fleeing again, the zoo plans to get him a roommate—a female zebra, according to the Korea Times.
“We expect her to provide emotional stability to Sero next year,” an official told the outlet. Right now, Sero’s roomie-to-be is too young to join him.
His wooden fence will also be switched for a taller enclosure made of iron, the newspaper said. In 2005, Seoul Children’s Grand Park also dealt with six runaway elephants.
The animals were performing in the circus when one of them was startled and ran, leading five others to bolt with it. They broke into a restaurant and ate carrots, according to Australian broadcaster ABC.
Men Express ‘Deep Regret’ for Groping Anime Statues in Studio Ghibli Park
Men who photographed themselves upskirting and groping anime statues at a theme park displaying characters from Studio Ghibli, known for movies like My Neighbor Totoro, have apologized for their actions.
In early March, several photos of masked men suggestively touching figurines went viral on Japanese social media. The now-deleted posts sparked strong condemnation from Studio Ghibli fans and the governor of central Aichi prefecture, where Ghibli Park is located. At the time, he warned of “firm and strict” action against visitors who misbehave.
But about two weeks after the governor, Hideaki Ōmura, made these denunciations, three men who took those photos visited the prefectural office to express remorse.
“I feel deep regret for having caused trouble and disgusting so many people. I will refrain from doing such foolish things in the future. I am truly sorry,” said one man, according to Ōmura, who revealed the men’s apologies at a Friday press conference.
The photos in question show men groping Teru, a central character in the 2006 movie Tales From Earthsea, and Marnie, who stars in the 2014 film When Marnie Was There. Some men also took upskirting photos of Marnie, whose character is 12 years old.
Outraged fans said the actions were disgraceful to the characters and Studio Ghibli, which is globally known for producing acclaimed family-friendly films. The park was built by the local government and is meant to celebrate the animation studio’s works.
In his Friday press conference, Ōmura likened these photos to “sushi terrorism”—a term coined for the spate of unhygienic pranks at conveyor belt sushi restaurants across Japan.
Viral videos of the stunts, which included licking communal soy sauce bottles, caused the stock of one sushi chain to fall five percent—nearly $125 million in value. Restaurants filed police complaints and in early March and authorities arrested three people allegedly connected to the pranks.
But unlike how sushi companies dealt with rogue eaters, Ōmura said he wouldn’t be seeking criminal charges for the men who took sexually suggestive photos of Studio Ghibli characters.
According to Ōmura, the three men who apologized were in their 20s to 30s. They visited the Aichi prefectural office on Wednesday, after a mutual acquaintance encouraged them to admit their mistake.
“They seemed sincere in their apologies, and so I would like to accept them with the same sincerity,” he said at the press conference, adding that he considered the matter closed.
Trump’s Favorite Extreme Think Tank Is Jumping Ship for DeSantis
As the Claremont Institute launched its new office in Tallahassee last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rolled out the red carpet.
DeSantis met with the leadership of the right-wing think tank, posing for pictures. His wife and closest political adviser Casey tweeted out congratulations.
The get-together showcased a budding partnership between DeSantis and members of the Claremont Institute, whose leaders are now championing and working with DeSantis.
The think tank’s scholars played a crucial role in normalizing former President Donald Trump, shaping his administration and aiding his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss—but in DeSantis they appear to have found a better match: an actual conservative ideologue who sees things in the same existential terms they do, but has a level of competence that Trump sorely lacked.
Many are working hard to help his efforts in Florida, and are eager to support his likely presidential bid.
“They're quite a few [at the Claremont Institute] who personally prefer DeSantis as the next candidate. And I would count myself among that group,” Claremont Institute Senior Fellow Charles Kesler told VICE News.
Kesler, who is one of the trustees DeSantis appointed to execute his hostile takeover of the public liberal arts school New College, said that DeSantis’ competence as a chief executive is “very impressive”—as is his ideological approach.
“On a whole range of issues where wokeness is a threat he has risen to the occasion—rhetorically, but he’s also trying to do something about it legislatively. That combination is quite rare,” Kesler continued. “I would expect DeSantis to be a much better, more realistic and more efficient chief executive than the former president.”
The Claremont Institute is no run-of-the-mill conservative think tank, however.
The organization took a hard right turn during the Trump years, and played a crucial role in his efforts to stay in power after he lost. And their rhetoric has grown even more incendiary since he left office.
In DeSantis they appear to have found a better match: an actual conservative ideologue who sees things in the same existential terms they do, but has a level of competence that Trump sorely lacked.
Claremont Institute President Ryan Williams has declared the institute’s mission is “to save Western civilization,” and has suggested “the Constitution is really only fit for a Christian people.”
The head of the Claremont Institute’s new Florida office, Scott Yenor, said career-focused women are “more medicated, meddlesome and quarrelsome than women need to be.”
His boss Arthur Milikh, who heads the Claremont Institute’s Washington, D.C office, told Tucker Carlson that women’s strength lay in “the power of sexuality” and argued progressives are pushing for an “androgynous” and “re-feminized world” that destroys society.”
They and other Claremont-affiliated scholars and activists have been closely tied to DeSantis’ project to purge Florida’s education system of anything they deem “woke.”
“Protecting and restoring the American way of life is the most important work Governors and state legislators can do right now,” Williams said while announcing Claremont was opening its first state-level outpost in the think tank’s four-decade history. “Governor DeSantis has shown fearless intellectual and political leadership in the fight against woke leftism. We are thrilled to help him and his legislative allies continue this important work.”
As DeSantis expands his small inner circle and prepares for a likely bid for the presidency, the views of Claremont-affiliated conservatives may soon matter more and more to the rest of the country.
The Claremont Institute was once a staid academic institute that mostly focused on abstract political philosophy. But that all changed in the Trump era.
As Trump struggled to unite the GOP in the fall of 2016, the think tank published “The Flight 93 Election,” an incendiary essay demanding that conservatives unite behind Trump by comparing it to the choice faced by passengers of the hijacked plane on September 11, 2001.
“Charge the cockpit or you die,” the piece began, warning Trump was the only person that could stop the ruination of America by “the ceaseless importation of Third World foreigners with no tradition of, taste for, or experience in liberty.”
The piece went viral. Michael Anton, a Claremont Fellow and former speechwriter for Trump adviser and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, soon claimed authorship.
Trump rewarded Anton with a spot on the powerful National Security Council. The former president soon had associates of the institute all over his administration.
Trump appointed Claremont Institute President Michael Pack, a close ally of Trump adviser Steve Bannon, to head the U.S. Agency for Global Media, where he tried to turn Voice of America and its sister outlets into pro-Trump propaganda operations.
The former president soon had associates of the institute all over his administration.
When Trump launched the 1776 Commission late in his presidency to rebuke the 1619 Project and the Black Lives Matter movement, two of the three people Trump picked to run it were on Claremont’s board of directors; Kesler, who’d penned an op-ed calling the civil unrest that followed George Floyd’s murder “the 1619 riots,” was a contributor.
Many alumni of the institute’s weeklong fellowships got administration jobs too.
And most significantly, Trump brought in John Eastman, the head of the Claremont Institute’s constitutional law center, to be the architect of Trump’s attempted legal coup plot after he lost the 2020 election—a plot that led to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
In late 2019, Trump honored the Claremont Institute with the prestigious National Humanities Medal. “One of America’s leading think tanks, the Claremont Institute has made invaluable contributions to the history of American conservative thought,” Trump said at a White House ceremony. “Claremont educates, reminds, and informs Americans about the founding principles that have made our country the greatest nation anywhere on Earth. Through publications, seminars, and scholarship, they fight to ‘recover the American idea.’ I know it well.”
Given all of Claremont’s Trump ties, it’s highly notable to see so many leaders of the Claremont Institute gravitating towards DeSantis.
Their ties have been building for years. The Florida governor delivered the keynote speech at the Claremont Institute’s fall 2021 dinner, where the organization presented him with its statesmanship award. Williams, Claremont’s president, introduced him with glowing praise, calling DeSantis “America’s finest governor.”
DeSantis cited a Claremont scholar to show he was simpatico. “Biden’s failures need to end up being the swan song for what the late Angelo Codevilla called the ‘ruling class’ in this country. He saw this probably before anybody, but he was right on the money. This ruling class is a toxic combination of managerial incompetence and cultural radicalism,” he said at the $400-a-plate event.
Their overlapping views don’t end there. DeSantis and the Claremont Institute have declared war on a common enemy: Wokeism. They share a view that it’s crucial to use the levers of government to beat it back in the most aggressive way possible—targeting individuals, private companies and schools at every level.
Klingenstein said last summer he had narrowed his 2024 options to Trump and DeSantis—and voiced what many at the Claremont Institute seem to feel: that DeSantis has “a lot of his virtues without a lot of Trump’s vices.”
DeSantis regularly brags that Florida is “where woke goes to die,” and uses the term “woke” 46 times in his new book—attacking “woke capital,” “the woke machine,” “woke corporations,” and “the woke mob.” His chapter on his feud with Disney is titled “The Magical Kingdom of Woke Corporatism.” He bragged about calling out the national guard during Black Lives Matter protests, which he labeled “BLM and Antifa riots” in his speech at the Claremont Institute, and passed what he called “the strongest anti-rioting legislation in the country. That legislation was blocked by a federal judge for violating the First Amendment, and is currently on appeal. His “Stop WOKE” Act, which limits how race can be discussed on college campuses, has also been blocked by federal judges.
His use of the power of government to target private business isn’t just aimed at big companies like Disney: The DeSantis administration recently moved to strip the liquor license from a Miami hotel because it hosted a Christmas show featuring performers from RuPaul’s Drag Race and allowed in minors if they were accompanied by an adult.
That mirrors the rhetoric and work of the Claremont Institute.
Last week, the Claremont Institute launched a database to track corporations’ donations to Black Lives Matter-affiliated movements, which an accompanying Newsweek op-ed called “reparations made to self-declared enemies of the American nation and way of life” that called on Congress to block companies from donating to BLM causes.
Thomas Klingenstein, the Claremont Institute’s largest donor and chairman of its board of directors, says that America is in a “cold civil war” between his side and the “woke comms,” short for woke communists. During the Black Lives Matter protests, he and Williams published an op-ed that labeled Black Lives Matter a “revolutionary and totalitarian movement” bent on “the destruction of the American way of life.”
Klingenstein said last summer he had narrowed his 2024 options to Trump and DeSantis—and voiced what many at the Claremont Institute seem to feel: that DeSantis has “a lot of his virtues without a lot of Trump’s vices.”
“DeSantis understands that we’re in a war, and that’s the most important thing,” Klingenstein said. “And if you don’t understand that we’re in a war, almost nothing else matters.”
Soon after DeSantis’ 2021 speech to the Claremont Institute, their leaders began popping up in Florida to help his systematic crusade to push education to the right, a task that Trump occasionally talked about but did little to achieve during his presidency.
Kesler told VICE News his first contribution to the effort was a pair of recorded lectures he made for DeSantis’ overhaul of its K-12 civics program, an effort spearheaded by Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian university in Michigan with close Claremont ties.
Then, as he escalated his education program this year, DeSantis launched a hostile takeover of New College, a tiny public liberal arts school that he pledged in a speech a few weeks ago to make “the top classical liberal arts school in America—along the lines of Hillsdale College.”
To do so, DeSantis removed six members of its board of trustees and replaced them with allies. Three of them have Claremont ties: Kesler, Christopher Rufo, a former Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow and the nation’s most effective crusader against what he claims is Critical Race Theory teaching in schools; and Matthew Spalding, a former student, Claremont Fellow and dean at Hillsdale College who helped run Trump’s 1776 Commission and who had brought in Kesler to contribute to the state’s civics program. The board promptly fired the school’s president, replaced her with a DeSantis ally, and shuttered the school’s Diversity, Inclusion and Equity office, moves decried by its mostly liberal student body.
DeSantis also pushed through a law that created publicly funded private-school scholarships in 2019; since then, Hillsdale has greatly expanded, and now has seven affiliated union-free, Christian K-12 “classical academies” across the state.
Soon after DeSantis’ 2021 speech to the Claremont Institute, their leaders began popping up in Florida to help his systematic crusade to push education to the right, a task that Trump occasionally talked about but did little to achieve during his presidency.
DeSantis singled out Hillsdale’s “innovative means of education” as a paragon of Florida’s future education system in a speech to the National Conservatism Conference last fall. In response, the Claremont Institute published a full transcript of DeSantis’ hourlong speech.
NatCon, as it’s known, is a conference of Claremont scholars and like-minded activists and politicians who advocate for a of nationalistic right-wing populism that’s much more grounded in a political philosophy and even more aggressive than MAGA-brand Trumpism.
It was at the previous year’s convention that Yenor called independent working women “more medicated, meddlesome and quarrelsome than women need to be.” He also said society should stop thinking of young women “as a future worker or a future achiever, and start thinking of them as future wives and mothers,” called universities “the citadels of gynocracy,” suggested “mandatory gun training” for all men, and declared: “We need a sexual counterrevolution.”
“Instead of painting an androgynous picture of the future, the future of a great nation needs to be thoroughly sexed when it comes to family policy. Part of our education project is preparing young men and young women for different destinies,” he said.
The speech led to fierce protests at Boise State University, where Yenor is a tenured professor. It was the second time his comments triggered protests. While Yenor has complained that he was canceled, the school hasn’t taken any disciplinary action against him.
A few weeks ago, DeSantis brought Yenor onstage at a roundtable to talk about their fight against Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts—and Yenor said he first got interested in the field because he believed his “two cancellation attempts” were triggered by DEI.
Yenor was there to unveil his new report with his ideas on how to change Florida’s system, with the very grammatical title “Florida Universities: From Woke to Professionalism,” in which he calls the University of Florida, the system’s flagship school, an “DEI indoctrination machine.”
His proposals include the repeal of a Florida statute that “requires each Florida College System institution to develop a plan for increasing representation of minorities and females” on faculty; legislation to ban Florida’s government from collecting data on the basis of race or sex; closing all DEI offices in Florida colleges and universities; uncovering “any anti-male elements of curriculum or programming;” and ending majors that had “DEI-infused disciplines” like gender studies.
DeSantis is already on his way to making some of these policies into law. Florida Republicans are fast-tracking legislation to ban DEI programs and dramatically weaken tenure protections for professors; another bill backed by DeSantis would ban gender studies and teaching critical race theory.
And they’re not just helping on the policy side. DeSantis recently hired Nate Hochman, a former Claremont Institute fellow and intern for one of its publications who has palled around with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, to join his political communications team. Claremont Institute scholars also spoke on a panel at DeSantis’ private political fundraising retreat in late February, according to the Washington Post.
A DeSantis political spokesperson declined to say which Claremont Institute representatives had appeared at his fundraiser, and pointed VICE News to his official office to discuss what influence Claremont’s authors have on DeSantis’ policymaking. His administration spokespeople ignored multiple requests for comment.
DeSantis recently hired Nate Hochman, a former Claremont Institute fellow and intern for one of its publications who has palled around with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, to join his political communications team.
Besides Kesler, Claremont’s leaders weren’t keen to chat. Yenor, Anton, and Klingenstein ignored multiple requests for interviews. When reached by phone, Williams refused to talk. “I don’t have any comment. Your coverage is relentlessly biased,” Williams told VICE News, before hanging up.
Some of DeSantis’ loudest keyboard warriors are Claremont-affiliated activists, too.
Claremont Institute Fellow David Reaboi, a bodybuilder and former lobbyist for Hungary’s right-wing government, recently told Politico that he’d been informally advising DeSantis on national security issues—and has been a vocal supporter on Twitter.
Former Claremont Institute fellows who’ve loudly and repeatedly boosted DeSantis include Newsweek opinion editor Josh Hammer, podcaster and “manosphere” influencer Jack Murphy, bodybuilder and former lobbyist for Hungary’s right-wing government David Reaboi, and substack author Pedro Gonzalez. According to the Daily Beast, Reaboi and Murphy are among the conservative micro-influencers that DeSantis’ team recruited to help magnify his message online.
Certainly, some Claremont leaders may still back Trump over DeSantis. Anton recently met with DeSantis as they opened their new office in Tallahassee, but he also spoke at the pro-Trump Conservative Political Action Conference where he touted Trump’s foreign policy approach.
But it’s clear that most of Claremont’s leaders are enamored with the Florida governor.
When he introduced DeSantis at their 2021 dinner, Williams gushed that DeSantis had shown “creativity, courage, perseverance, common sense and good judgment at almost every turn.”
As the 2024 GOP campaign begins in earnest, it appears that judgment has led to a mutual embrace.
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Weekly Horoscope: March 27 - April 2
Mercury meets with Jupiter at 2:50 AM on Tuesday, March 28, beginning a new cycle in knowledge and understanding. This can be a beginning or end of a type of translation project, either literal or metaphorical. We can squeeze big ideas into smaller units.
Action planet Mars harmonizes with serious Saturn at 3:03 PM on Thursday, March 30, encouraging us to make peace with things that are too difficult or challenging to accomplish in one swing. This attitude and perspective allows for progress to flow, or for struggles to ease. Acceptance can play a part.
Also on Thursday, love planet Venus meets with Uranus, the planet of the unconventional, at 6:25 PM, inspiring people to relate to others in ways that they haven’t before, or to try new things. We’re in the mood for something strange.
All times ET.
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Aries: March 20, 2023 - April 20, 2023 Mercury, the planet of the mind, meets with Jupiter, the planet of higher learning, teaching you lessons about yourself and your identity. You’ve gone through highs and lows, and now it’s time to take a record of all of the ground you’ve covered. File your receipts, write down your experiences, and talk about your beliefs. It’s the beginning of a new cycle and you have a lot of wisdom to share! Your planetary ruler Mars harmonizes with Saturn, the planet of rules, helping you focus on tackling private battles. You’re pushing forward to the end, and bringing matters to a close—one way or another.
Taurus: April 20, 2023 - May 21, 2023 The beginning of spring can be a quiet time for you as you prepare for what comes next. Your birthday is just around the corner, so you have to finish the year strong! Things are wrapping up, which might require you to keep things quiet for the time being. Or maybe you’re spending more time alone lately so that you can catch up on rest or quality time to yourself. Your planetary ruler Venus meets with quirky Uranus, encouraging you to be as weird as you need to be! Now is the time to lean into what makes you unique. You can be more open to unconventional relationships or trying to befriend people that you normally wouldn’t.
Gemini: May 21, 2023 - June 21, 2023 Your planetary ruler Mercury meets with Jupiter, the planet of higher learning, teaching you lessons about your dreams and goals. This is a time for you to take small steps toward the bigger picture: your dream world. You might feel like it’s all possible now! Mercury, the planet of communication, likes to make lists and figure out the best course of action. It’s a busybody planet! Greatness is a process, and right now you’re developing it. Or maybe it’s time for you to call for a celebration, send out invites, and announce a party. Action planet Mars harmonizes with taskmaster Saturn, helping you tackle financial and career hurdles that are burdensome and long.
Cancer: June 21, 2023 - July 22, 2023 Mercury, the planet of the mind, meets with Jupiter, the planet of higher learning, teaching you lessons about how you can accomplish something great. This might be a time for you to list the things that you’ve accomplished; your successes and your prizes. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to start a new draft of your resume, or polish off your trophies so that they can be seen more clearly by the world. Aries season is here to show you what you have to be proud of! It's time to share your light with the world. Action planet Mars harmonizes with taskmaster Saturn, helping you tackle bureaucratic or legal hurdles—or at least to make peace with them and move on.
Leo: July 22, 2023 - August 23, 2023 Love planet Venus meets with revolutionary Uranus, which can put you in a strange mood when it comes to your reputation. Maybe you’re more sensitive to how you’re being perceived, which makes you act out! Or perhaps you’re feeling more adventurous and rebellious, not giving a damn about your bad reputation a la Joan Jett. Aries season does tend to embolden and give audacity, and Leo is already a bold and audacious sign. You seem to feel as if there’s nothing left to lose, so why not go for it! Make a scene, be a freak. Scream from the mountaintops. You’ve got joy to spread.
Virgo: August 23, 2023 - September 23, 2023 Your planetary ruler Mercury meets with Jupiter, the planet of higher learning, teaching you lessons about sharing and caring. This can be a moment when you’re relying on other people more, which is a good thing. A hero can swoop in and put you on track. This might require you to depend on others or trust that they will do the right thing. Action planet Mars harmonizes with taskmaster Saturn, helping you tackle your goals with a loyal or trustworthy partner. If you don’t feel as though someone is going to stick around, or that they can’t carry their weight, you may be ready to move on.
Libra: September 23, 2023 - October 23, 2023 Mercury, the planet of the mind, meets with Jupiter, the planet of higher learning, teaching you lessons about partnership and collaboration. There’s a renewed sense of hope in your relationships and in other people. Now is not the time to be skeptical about what people have to offer, but to enjoy your connections and everything they have to teach you! Action planet Mars harmonizes with taskmaster Saturn, helping you tackle a heavy workload, or to address health issues. Your planetary ruler Venus meets with quirky Uranus, which could bring out the quirks in your relationships in an unexpected way.
Scorpio: October 23, 2023 - November 22, 2023 Your planetary ruler Mars harmonizes with Saturn, the planet of rules, helping you focus on the extent of your boundaries. This is a time when you can see exactly how far you’re willing to go for art, love, and friends. This isn’t a challenge—we know you can go to extremes! Love planet Venus meets with revolutionary Uranus, which can put you in a strange mood when it comes to partnerships. Maybe you’re more willing to let things slide, or perhaps you’re ready to surprise everyone with what you do next! You’re more open to people and dynamics that are off the beaten path, and can be more forgiving of exceptional circumstances.
Sagittarius: November 22, 2023 - December 21, 2023 Mercury, the planet of the mind, meets with your planetary ruler Jupiter, teaching you lessons about love and friendship. People are looking to you to get the party started and get the ball rolling. Your spark is what it takes to bring the vision to life! Your creative genius can shine. You’re able to lead the way when it comes to fun and art, so giddy up, Sagittarius! Action planet Mars harmonizes with taskmaster Saturn, helping you finally call it quits when it comes to whatever needs to come to an end. You know how to keep good things going forever, but it requires you to shed some baggage, too.
Capricorn: December 21, 2023 - January 20, 2024 Mercury, the planet of the mind, meets with Jupiter, the planet of higher learning, teaching you lessons about home and family. This is an auspicious moment to express gratitude, admiration, and wonder for everything that came before you. Take time to marvel at your roots, and humanity’s origins as well. Everyone knows you’re a history nerd, Capricorn. Action planet Mars harmonizes with your planetary ruler Saturn, helping you tackle difficult conversations with others. You might find a unique way to address things that have been weighing on your mind, and can find that partners are willing to help you with the heavy lifting, too.
Aquarius: January 20, 2023 - February 18, 2023 Action planet Mars harmonizes with your planetary ruler Saturn, showing you how to tackle your responsibilities or activities that require time and focus. You might be able to get a lot of work done, especially if you keep the fruits of your labor in mind as you’re chipping away! Or maybe you can enter a flow state where the benefits just come naturally. Love planet Venus meets with revolutionary Uranus, which can put you in a strange or quirky mood when it comes to your home and family relationships. Maybe you’re up for experimentation in private, trying your hand at new media, formats, or recipes.
Pisces: February 18, 2023 - March 20, 2023 Mercury, the planet of the mind, meets with your planetary ruler Jupiter, teaching you lessons about money, gifts, and donations. There’s your ideals about money—your beliefs, ethics, and metaphysical visions—and there’s your practical understanding of it—how you use it to invest in your home and your partners. Right now both the ideal and the practical are coming together in a fresh, cutting-edge way. Action planet Mars harmonizes with taskmaster Saturn, helping you tackle your responsibilities with an unconventional, gentle approach. Your friends and lovers might be able to help you take on the task, or you can turn it into a game!
Daily Horoscope: March 27, 2023
A chatty, busy energy flows as the moon in Gemini connects with Mercury in Aries at 3:39 AM. An exciting adventure may unfold as the moon connects with Jupiter in Aries at 6:57 AM—but keep your plans flexible and prioritize rest as the moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces at 9:39 PM.
All times ET.
Read your monthly horoscope for March!
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Aries: March 20, 2023 - April 20, 2023 The moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and Jupiter, both in Aries, which can bode well for any of your research or communication. The moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces, encouraging you to connect with your inner voice and perhaps take a break from screens.
Taurus: April 20, 2023 - May 21, 2023 Great strides can be made toward making your dreams come true as the moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and Jupiter, both in Aries. The moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces, which could find you feeling overwhelmed or confused about making plans for the future: Take it slow, and use this time to explore ideas, not commit to them.
Gemini: May 21, 2023 - June 21, 2023 The moon in your sign, Gemini, connects with your ruling planet Mercury, and Jupiter, both in Aries, making it a very exciting time in your social life. However, you may feel confused about how to position yourself in the public eye as the moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces. Take your time to feel things out!
Cancer: June 21, 2023 - July 22, 2023 Your creativity soars as the moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and Jupiter, both in Aries. The moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces, encouraging you to connect with your inner voice, especially if you’ve been confused by what other people have to say.
Leo: July 22, 2023 - August 23, 2023 The moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and Jupiter, both in Aries, inspiring a fun atmosphere in your social life, but the moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces, which could find you wrestling with complicated feelings, especially if they don’t make sense to you. Try not to judge yourself, and make room for any confusing emotions that surface.
Virgo: August 23, 2023 - September 23, 2023 The moon in Gemini connects with your ruling planet Mercury, and with Jupiter, both in Aries, which can bode especially well for your career and productivity. The moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces, which may find you and a partner talking about your deepest emotions.
Libra: September 23, 2023 - October 23, 2023 The moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and Jupiter, both in Aries, encouraging communication. People may feel especially open-minded or flexible. The moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces, encouraging you to keep your plans open, just in case an invitation for an adventure comes your way.
Scorpio: October 23, 2023 - November 22, 2023 You could be smoothing over some tricky issues as the moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and Jupiter, both in Aries. The moon squares off with Neptune in fellow water sign Pisces, finding you exploring a deep connection you share with someone.
Sagittarius: November 22, 2023 - December 21, 2023 The moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and your ruling planet Jupiter, both in Aries, inspiring a fun and flirtatious atmosphere! This can be an excellent time to connect with partners. The moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces, which may find you feeling especially romantic and sensitive.
Capricorn: December 21, 2023 - January 20, 2024 The moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and Jupiter, both in Aries, inspiring a productive mood. Capricorns are always go-getters, but your wit and creativity are especially strong today. Keep your plans flexible as the moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces.
Aquarius: January 20, 2023 - February 18, 2023 A fun, frisky energy flows as the moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and Jupiter, both in Aries! Exciting discussions may take place. Just watch your spending as the moon squares off with Neptune in Pisces.
Pisces: February 18, 2023 - March 20, 2023 The moon in Gemini connects with Mercury and your ruling planet Jupiter, both in Aries, which can bode well for building wealth and security! The moon squares off with your other ruler planet Neptune in your sign, Pisces, which may find you in a sentimental, nostalgic mood—but don’t confuse your fantasies about the past with the reality of what was.
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Your grocery bag might not have been recycled
Enlarge / Recycling is sorted at the Sims Municipal Recycling Facility in New York City in 2015. (credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
To jumpstart a paltry market for recycled plastic, governments across the globe are pushing companies to include recycled materials in their products. Last year, the United Kingdom introduced a tax on manufacturers that produce or import plastic packaging containing less than 30 percent recycled plastic. In 2024, New Jersey will begin enforcing similar rules, albeit with lower targets. California now requires that beverage containers be made of 15 percent recycled materials, and Washington will enact a similar requirement later this year. The European Commission, Canada, and Mexico are all considering comparable moves.
Currently, most plastic products are derived from freshly extracted fossil fuels, including crude oil and natural gas. Incorporating some recycled plastic could reduce emissions, and shrink pollution in waterways and landfills, experts say. But collecting, sorting, pulverizing, and melting post-consumer plastics for reuse is expensive. The new laws will potentially help recyclers find buyers for what would otherwise become waste.
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Daily Horoscope: March 26, 2023
The moon in Gemini encourages us to be inquisitive about where we are emotionally, and to journal or talk with friends about what’s on our minds. We may be exploring our limits and setting boundaries as the moon squares off with Saturn in Pisces at 12:38 AM. The moon connects with the sun in Aries at 7:03 AM, bringing a boost of confidence and creativity!
All times ET.
Read your monthly horoscope for March!
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Aries: March 20, 2023 - April 20, 2023 The moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces today, encouraging you to vent about your worries: Getting it off your mind and on paper may help you feel better, and talking to a friend can bring new perspective! The moon connects with the sun in your sign, Aries, bringing you a big boost of clarity and confidence.
Taurus: April 20, 2023 - May 21, 2023 The moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces, which may find you setting important boundaries in your friendships. The moon connects with the sun in Aries, finding you connecting with your inner voice or your spirituality in some significant way.
Gemini: May 21, 2023 - June 21, 2023 The moon in your sign, Gemini, squares off with Saturn in Pisces, which could find you making important decisions about your career. The moon connects with the sun in Aries, making for excitement in your social life!
Cancer: June 21, 2023 - July 22, 2023 The moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in fellow water sign Pisces, which may find you discovering the reality of some of your fantasies. The moon connects with the sun in Aries, boding well for your career and popularity!
Leo: July 22, 2023 - August 23, 2023 The moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces, which could find you setting important boundaries in your friendships, but you might also be making exciting social connections today as the moon connects with the sun in fellow fire sign Aries.
Virgo: August 23, 2023 - September 23, 2023 The moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces, which could find you setting important boundaries in your career and relationships, and you may also find that people are eager to offer their help as the moon connects with the sun in Aries.
Libra: September 23, 2023 - October 23, 2023 You may be finalizing future plans or setting boundaries around your availability as the moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces. The moon connects with the sun in Aries, boding very well for your social life and relationships.
Scorpio: October 23, 2023 - November 22, 2023 You may be deciding which romantic partners or creative projects you want to invest your time in as the moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces. Problem solving could come easily as the moon connects with the sun in Aries.
Sagittarius: November 22, 2023 - December 21, 2023 You could be setting important boundaries at home and in your career as the moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces, and the moon connects with the sun in fellow fire sign Aries, which can find you connecting with exciting people!
Capricorn: December 21, 2023 - January 20, 2024 You may be reorganizing your schedule and setting important boundaries around availability and communication as the moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces. The moon connects with the sun in Aries, inspiring a cozy, easygoing atmosphere at home or in your day-to-day routine.
Aquarius: January 20, 2023 - February 18, 2023 The moon in fellow air sign Gemini squares off with Saturn in Pisces, which could find you asking important questions about what, or who, you want to invest your energy into. The moon connects with the sun in Aries, encouraging a productive atmosphere for clear communication.
Pisces: February 18, 2023 - March 20, 2023 The moon in Gemini squares off with Saturn, which is currently in your sign, Pisces, finding you transforming how you relate to the past, and the boundaries you set with family. The moon connects with the sun in Aries, boding well for building wealth or discovering new talents!
The fight to expose corporations’ real impact on the climate
Enlarge (credit: Walter Zerla via Getty Images)
Say you are a maker of computer graphics cards, under pressure from investors questioning your green credentials. You know what to do. You email your various departments, asking them to tally up their carbon emissions and the energy they consume. Simple enough. You write a report pledging a more sustainable future, in which your trucks are electrified and solar panels adorn your offices.
Good start, your investors say. But what about the mines that produced the tantalum or palladium in your transistors? Or the silicon wafers that arrived via a lengthy supply chain? And what of when your product is shipped to customers, who install it in a laptop or run it 24/7 inside a data center to train an AI model like GPT-4 (or 5)? Eventually it will be discarded as trash or recycled. Chase down every ton of carbon and the emissions a company creates are many times times higher than it first seemed.