Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.

Note: I’ll be on the road, delivering my girlfriend to her next artist residency (in Wausau, Wisconsin) through the end of the week, so there won’t be OSN emails or pods Thursday or Friday. Sorry about that! But we’ll be back to the usual schedule on Monday.

US government issues first-ever space debris penalty to Dish Network

Summary: Satellite television company Dish Network has been issued the first-ever fine for failing to de-orbit an aging satellite, the EchoStar-7, which has been lingering in orbit after its useful lifespan rather than being nudged onto a trajectory that would allow it to safely burn up in the atmosphere.

Context: This is an issue because the orbit into which it was guided puts it squarely in a orbital debris risk zone—it was too low on propellant to make it all the way to the safe burn-up target orbit, so now it’s in a highly populated region, equivalent to being stuck in the middle of a high-traffic highway, rather than having been delivered to the dump; in 2022 the FCC adopted a new rule that said satellite operators would need to dispose of their own aging satellite infrastructure within five years of a satellite completing its mission, and this was implemented because of the ever-increasing risk of collisions between all the satellites that are now hurling around the planet, faster than bullets, and the possibility that one collision could create so much debris that it sparks a cascade of collisions, destroying a bunch of in-orbit assets, and also, potentially, leading to what’s called Kessler Syndrome, wherein the planet is surrounded by so much fast-moving debris that it becomes nearly impossible to launch anything new, or to safely maintain functional satellites.

—The Guardian

One Sentence News is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hundreds seek compensation over J-pop agency founder's abuse

Summary: More than 300 people have accused Japan’s top music talent agent, Johnny Kitagawa, of sexual abuse, and are now seeking compensation from the company that manages his assets, following his death in 2019.

Context: An independent inquiry concluded in September that Kitagawa had abused hundreds of young men and boys over the course of his career, during which he launched the careers of some of the country’s most successful and well-known J-pop boy bands (this widespread abuse was an open secret in the industry); about 150 of the 325 people who are seeking compensation as victims were former talents that he managed, and the tycoon’s former agency has since converted itself into an entity that will solely exist to identify and compensate victims, while a new company will be established to manage their docket of talent; Kitagawa’s niece stepped down from her role leading the agency following the aforementioned investigation, and she’s been replaced by a television star and singer named Noriyuki Higashiyama, though he has also been accused of sexual misconduct, so it’s anyone’s guess as to how long he’ll maintain that position.

—BBC News

Biden administration offers fewest offshore oil and gas leases in history

Summary: The US government announced late last week that it would lease territory in only three new portions of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling between 2024 and 2029, representing the smallest-ever number of lease offerings since the federal drilling program began several decades ago.

Context: This is a notable decision in part because it seems almost perfectly calibrated to upset everyone, as environmentalist groups are still irked that the Biden administration has backtracked on its election-era promise to issue no new drilling leases on federal land, while the oil companies and their supporters are pissed that the administration isn’t giving them wider access; it’s also notable because a new law requires that the US government issue drilling leases if it wants to make new territory available for wind farms, and the Biden administration is keen to see more offshore wind farms get the go-ahead, so this would seem to forward that ambition, while also limiting the country’s capacity to do a lot more drilling in the next five years, which suggests the government is nudging things toward renewables, even if not as rapidly and ambitiously as most environmental groups would prefer.

—The New York Times

The speed at which solar energy infrastructure is being deployed, globally, cannot be overstated—it surpasses even the most optimistic estimates every single year, and 2023 is looking to be no different; the pace is increasing even faster in the US, right now, as businesses with a lot of real estate (like self-storage companies) are beginning to slather their holdings with solar panels, as are timber companies and the owners of outlet malls.

—The Wall Street Journal

$150 million

Average annual value—for football/soccer governing body Fifa—of its partnership with video game-maker EA to produce the Fifa video game series, which was recently rebranded as EA Sports FC.

That rebrand is the consequence of EA’s decision to cut ties with Fifa, sacrificing name-recognition and accumulated brand-value in the hopes of pocketing some of that $150 million-ish a year that would otherwise go to Fifa.

EA has said interest is high in this year’s entry in the series, which bears the new title and has seen a 25% increase in pre-sale signups (though it also has a longer early access window than previous offerings).

This is being seen as one of the most important decisions in EA’s history, and it represents a significant loss of revenue for Fifa, as this licensing deal was their second-largest commercial effort, outside the World Cup.

—Financial Times

Trust Click

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onesentencenews.substack.com