Latino Businesses Struggle Amid Immigration Crackdown in the U.S.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified a new phase of matter termed “half-ice, half-fire.” This discovery relates to the ordered and disordered states of electron spins in an external magnetic field, potentially advancing quantum information storage technologies. The findings were published in the journal *Physical Review Letters*. According to Weiguo Yin, a co-author of the study, understanding and controlling transitions between different states of matter is critical in condensed matter physics and materials science. This phase can switch between states at finite temperatures, making it an attractive option for quantum computing and spintronics. The new discovery builds upon prior research conducted in 2015 that uncovered a related "half-fire, half-ice" phase within the magnetic compound Sr3CuIrO6. In this context, Yin and colleague Alexei Tsvelik found that electron spins could alternate in temperature, with implications for various applications including refrigeration and data storage. As the research progresses, the team aims to further explore the “fire-ice” phenomenon to unlock additional possibilities in material science.

A woman was arrested after a chaotic incident at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on March 14, during which she stripped naked and assaulted airport workers. Samantha Palma, who claimed to be traveling with her eight-year-old daughter, reportedly was experiencing a "manic episode," according to a report by the New York Post. During her rampage, Palma stabbed two restaurant workers with a pencil and bit the manager, causing injury, and smashed an airport information display. Witnesses captured the surreal scene on video, showing her destabilized behavior, including throwing water and cursing when approached by other passengers. Upon police arrival, Palma was found hiding behind an emergency exit door, covered in blood that was not her own. She later revealed to authorities that she had neglected to take her medication that day and identified as various Disney princesses, including Ariel and Pocahontas. She was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and initially detained for mental health evaluation.

A team of researchers in the United States has successfully teleported a quantum state of light through over 30 kilometers of fiber optic cable while managing typical internet traffic. This achievement, reported by Prem Kumar, a computing engineer at Northwestern University, marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of a quantum-connected computing network, promising advancements in encryption and data transmission methods. The demonstration indicates that quantum states can be transmitted using existing optical fiber infrastructure, potentially merging quantum communication with classical internet traffic. Kumar noted, “This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible,” emphasizing the implications for future communications systems. To protect the quantum state of the photon during transmission, the researchers employed techniques that minimized scattering and interference from other data streams. This successful teleportation suggests that a quantum internet may be achievable without the need for new infrastructure, allowing both classical and quantum communications to coexist effectively. The findings were published in the journal Optica, further underscoring the growing recognition of quantum technologies' potential.