Numlock News: June 24, 2024 • Wombats, Cornhole, Redbox

Jun 24, 2024

Debris

The Otero family of Naples, Florida, filed claims against NASA after their home was struck by a chunk of space debris in March, a 1.6-pound battery pack from the International Space Station that the space agency confirmed was the same one ejected from the station in 2021. It’s a landmark case for the final frontier: They’re asking for about $80,000, and aim for the case to set a precedent about process and compensation for damages from space debris. NASA gave the family a form to submit a claim, could legally recompense them $25,000 for the claims based on the Federal Torts Claim Act, and will have to get approval from the U.S. Attorney General if they want to pay in full.

Eric Berger, Ars Technica

Redbox

Redbox, the DVD rental vending machine service, is in somewhat dire financial straits, with a Los Angeles court last week entering a $16.7 million judgment against the company related to missed payments to Universal, which claims that Redbox simply has not paid it any royalties since the summer of 2022. Redbox is owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which took on $325 million in debt to acquire Redbox and ended the first quarter of the year with a $937 million deficit. It gets worse, as the company that leases over 400 cars to Redbox won the right to repossess them. If ownership is having difficulty dealing with this complex situation emotionally, well, if only there were an emotionally nourishing series of anthologies that could be turned to in such times of need. That would sure be a good business.

Janko Roettgers, The Verge

Desert Hockey

The ongoing travails of professional hockey in Arizona have hit a new issue, one that jeopardizes the possibility of a professional franchise returning after the Arizona Coyotes’ hockey operations and players were sold to a Utah ownership group the day after the 2023-24 season ended. The owner retained the trademarks, team name and rights to an expansion franchise, but with the main condition that the rights expire in five years unless he is able to complete a new arena, at which point he’d also have to pay $1 billion back to the NHL. The arena land being pursued was 95 acres north of Phoenix up for auction at a starting price of $68.5 million, but last week the Arizona State Land Commission canceled the auction, which would crush the plans.

Barry M. Bloom, Sportico

Cornhole

One of the most-played activities in America is cornhole, which organizers are attempting to make into a professional sport. The American Cornhole League averaged 50,000 viewers across six ESPN telecasts, most of which were buried in the shadow realm of the ESPN+ app but nevertheless put on a compelling show. At the pro level, cornhole players are downright automatic, accomplishing a four-bagger — the phenomenon of sinking all four bags into the hole, netting the maximum number of points for a four-shot round — much of the time, with the best players nailing the feat about half the rounds they play. There are 250 slots in the pro division, and the hope is that with a slick ESPN production, a $500,000 budget for events, and a niche but loyal audience, they can be a commercial success among a subscription-driven media landscape.

Devin Gordon, The New York Times

Sento

Public baths, or sento, in Japan have been in decline, as their original purpose of serving people who lacked a bath at home has fallen to the wayside. The price of entry is set at 520 yen ($3.31) by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, so competing on price or added services can be tough. At peak in 1968, there were 18,000 throughout the country, but that figure today stands at just 2,000, with Tokyo home to 435 and losing roughly 30 each year. Older sento need expensive repairs to stay in business, and often people take ownership through inheritance. Pairing up with companion businesses, like breweries, has been successful for some.

Elaine Lies, Nikkei Asia

Inside Out 2

Inside Out 2 had a phenomenal second weekend at the box office, grossing another $100 million domestically and $164.4 million overseas to a global cume of $724.4 million, well on target to join the billion-dollar club. That second weekend proved to be remarkably sticky, scoring the biggest second weekend for any animated film and the seventh-best second weekend of any film at all. Indeed, it fell just 35 percent in North America, which is the best-ever hold for a movie that opened to $150 million or more.

Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter

Wombats

Scientists in Australia are still just beginning to understand the threats faced by the native wombats, which spend much of their lives underground, making them difficult to check in on. The bare-nosed wombat are estimated to be 1.3 million in number, and populations on the mainland, on Tasmania and on Flinders Island are genetically distinct. They’re under threat from both motor vehicles as well as a mite that can cause fatal illness among them, but because they’re so hard to keep tabs on, researchers operate a citizen science project called WomSAT. The initiative tracks wombat sightings, population data and information about threats, and has mapped 23,000 wombat sightings.

Amber Dance, Knowable Magazine

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