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Queens Councilman Francisco Moya endorsed Mets owner Steve Cohen’s plan to build an $8 billion casino complex next to Citi Field — but state Sen. Jessica Ramos, another influential political player who can make or break the project, is not on board.

“I wholeheartedly believe that Metropolitan Park is in Queens’ and New York City’s best interest,” Moya who represents the communities around Flushing Meadow Park and Willets Point said in a statement Thursday — referring to the name of Cohen’s proposed gaming center, hotel, and music venue.

For Cohen’s casino project to succeed, he needs the state Legislature to approve a law to reconvert the lots around Citi Field designated as park land since the World’s Fair was for commercial use something Ramos has not agreed to do.

“I am committed to advancing a New York City Council home rule message for the State to authorize the City of New York to seize this opportunity, by permitting additional uses on this land to facilitate the sports, entertainment, and recreational park,” Moya said.

Moya is a fervent backer of another project next to the Cohen casino, a new professional soccer stadium for the New York City Football Club.

He gushed the casino-entertainment complex “will provide the economic engine to drive people to the area year-round and create a world-class fan experience for the millions who come to Citi Field, the USTA Tennis Center, and all those who will soon be coming to cheer on the NYCFC.”

“If we fail to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we ensure that the area around Citi Field remains underutilized parking lots for the foreseeable future; and we permanently stymie the future growth potential of Queens. Let’s not allow that to happen. I look forward to supporting this historic project and making Metropolitan Park a reality,” the councilman said.

But Senator Ramos, whose support is critical to passing a law in Albany for the project to proceed, is still playing high-stakes poker and issued a statement critical of Cohen team’s lobbying strategy — on the eve of her holding another town hall meeting on the project.

“I question the strategy here. This press release, the last minute press conference before my third town hall, the paid canvassers at my first town hall – these are not the open and transparent moves that I would expect from someone claiming to value real, honest community engagement,” Ramos said in a statement texted to The Post.

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A day earlier, Ramos posted a picture of herself on social media with rapper Nas, who is part of the Genting Resort World slot parlor’s competing bid to obtain a full casino license to offer table games and open a music venue.

Moya’s announced support comes just days after state regulators said they wont decide on up to 3 new casino licenses in the New York City area until late 2025 a delay critics say deals the local economy a bad hand.

But casino industry sources said the go-slow timetable gives Cohen more time to strengthen his hand in Albany.

Cohen is said to maintain cordial ties to Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, other big players in the casino sweepstakes.

Other proposed casinos include The Related Companies/Wynn proposal for Hudson Yards, SL Green/Caesars/Roc Nation in Times Square, the Thor Equities consortium in Coney Island, Ballys at Ferry Point in The Bronx and Sands at the Nassau Coliseum Hub.

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SpaceX Launches 26 New Starlink Satellites, Expands Global Internet Network

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June 13, 2025

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SpaceX Launches 26 New Starlink Satellites, Expands Global Internet Network

SpaceX just aced another launch of its Starlink internet satellites. On Thursday night (June 12), the company launched 26 new Starlink spacecraft to join its ever-growing internet megaconstellation in orbit. Flying from Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base, the launch occurred at 9:54 p.m. EDT (6:54 p.m. PDT or 0154 GMT) on June 13. The satellites are planned to be deployed into orbit from the second stage about one hour and one minute after liftoff. This accomplishment brings to more than 7,600 the number of active satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink.

As per SpaceX’s official update for its 15-6 mission, the rocket’s first-stage booster, known as B1081, flew for the 15th time after 14 prior flights. It successfully touched down on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of southern California, yet again. The company’s current record for reflight of Falcon 9 boosters is 28 flights, proving itself at the same time to be the best at orbital launch efficiency.

Thursday’s mission marks the 72nd Falcon 9 launch, with 53 of those dedicated to the Starlink network. The system aims to provide high-speed internet access around the world, and an increasing number of satellites provide direct-to-cell services for texting and a limited data connection on certain kinds of smartphones and through certain carriers.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX continues to add satellites to the Starlink constellation to increase redundancy and coverage, particularly in remote areas. The current constellation has wide coverage of the Earth, allowing small satellite dishes and mobile phones to connect to the internet in real time in dozens of countries.

SpaceX is simultaneously expanding the reach of Starlink and laying the groundwork for next-generation applications like in-flight connectivity and emergency response communications. With more than 7,600 satellites now orbiting Earth and as many as dozens of additional launches on the docket, Starlink is rapidly redefining how global internet coverage can work in the modern era.

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Aurora Alert! Northern Lights May Be Visible as Far South as New York on June 14

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June 13, 2025

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Aurora Alert! Northern Lights May Be Visible as Far South as New York on June 14

A rare display in the night sky could be visible to skywatchers in the U.S., as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a geomagnetic storm watch for the night of June 14. The moderate G2-level event, fuelled by disturbances in solar wind, might produce auroras visible as far south as New York and Idaho, providing a spectacular light show far beyond the usual polar zones. While it’s welcome news for aurora enthusiasts, experts caution that extended daylight hours due to the approaching summer solstice could limit ideal viewing windows.

Coronal Hole Sparks Geomagnetic Storm; Auroras May Glow as Far South as New York June 14

As per the statement from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC), this increase in geomagnetic activity is associated to a greater degree with a co-rotating interaction region (CIR), a turbulent region where high-speed streams of solar wind collide with slower-moving wind. While these CIRs may not be as dramatic as CMEs, they can still lead to shock waves that rattle the Earth’s magnetic field. The latest CIR was formed around a large coronal hole – a particularly dark region in the Sun’s outermost atmosphere – that is currently facing Earth and spewing high-speed solar wind directly into space.

Coronal holes are allowed to expand and develop into space weather due to reduced density and lower temperature solar wind pressing outward. Forecasts suggest a Kp index of 5.67 on 14 June, so there is another chance for auroras at lower latitudes.

To catch the northern lights, search for dark, clear skies in the hours before dawn, and check in with NOAA’s 3-day space weather forecast, as well as real-time resources like the “My Aurora Forecast & Alerts” app.

The aurora is weather and atmospheric conditions permitting, and should be visible for those based outside of the Arctic Circle viewing it during an approaching storm.

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New Island Forms in Caspian Sea as Water Levels Drop, Russian Scientists Confirm

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June 13, 2025

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New Island Forms in Caspian Sea as Water Levels Drop, Russian Scientists Confirm

Russian scientists have confirmed a brand-new island in the northern Caspian Sea. Satellite imagery from late 2024 first hinted at a sandbank breaking the surface, and a field expedition in mid 2025 verified it. The feature lies about 30 km southwest of Maly Zhemchuzhny Island, on the Europe-Asia boundary of the world’s largest inland sea. It barely rises above the water, and it appeared as the Caspian’s level reached unusually low values. Scientists note the sea has fallen in recent decades (linked to higher evaporation in a warming climate and regional tectonic shifts) and has been dropping again since the 2010.

Confirming the Island’s Emergence

According to a translated statement , in November 2024, satellite images showed a pile of sand and sediment poking above the sea surface. When a Russian research vessel reached the location, scientists saw a flat, sandy patch just above the water. Its surface was damp and crisscrossed by small ridges of sand, but only a few inches higher than the surrounding sea. Approaching by boat proved tricky: very shallow water and foul weather meant the team could not actually land on the new islet. Instead, researchers flew drones (quadcopters) to photograph the site from above. These aerial pictures confirmed the island’s outline and scale. In the field images, the new island appeared as a low, sandy plain with no vegetation.

Environmental Significance and Future Outlook

The island highlights the Caspian’s shifting waters and geology. Scientists have observed that long-term cycles of water rise and fall can expose underwater banks as temporary islands, as seen in the Kumani Bank mud volcano off Azerbaijan’s coast. The island, which could become a nesting ground for seabirds or a haul-out site for Caspian seals, could be influenced by climate-driven water loss and tectonic or volcanic activity. The island’s fate will help scientists understand the interaction between Caspian water levels, climate change, and Earth movements, and what new habitats may emerge when an inland sea shifts its shoreline.

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