1.
Rising prices
The energy crisis has been smoldering for weeks, the terrible news comes almost every hour:
The utility E.on announced on Tuesday that it would not accept any new gas customers for the time being because of the high prices.
On the same day, the German steel group Salzgitter threatens production stops at its Peine site, which needs a lot of electricity.
The building materials company Heidelberg Cement has announced short-term price increases, which is completely unusual for the industry.
Consumers are already feeling the crisis: According to the Federal Statistical Office, heating oil rose by 76.5 percent in September compared to the previous year.
Fuel cost 28.4 percent more.
The prices for natural gas (plus 5.7 percent) and electricity (plus 2.0 percent) also rose.
And of course the high energy prices are also driving the inflation rate - in Germany to over four percent.
(Part of that is because prices were so low over the same period last year.)
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Photo: Federico Gambarini / dpa
"The figures are harbingers of what is still in store for consumers and companies," reports my colleague Stefan Schultz from our economic department. 61 gas suppliers have already increased their prices for this winter or announced that they will increase them. Others will follow suit; According to experts, the price of electricity will also continue to rise. "Warnings are already circulating that poorer people are likely to freeze in winter because they can no longer pay their heating bills," writes Stefan. "In other EU countries, some of which are significantly poorer, the situation looks even grimmer."
So what to do
"You shouldn't wait for politics to stir," advises Stefan.
“You'd better switch your electricity and gas supplier in case your previous one increases prices.
You then have a special right of termination.
If you are still in the basic service, you can sometimes save several hundred euros by switching.
»But make sure that you only conclude contracts with short terms of one to three months.
And don't take tariffs that are only cheap because you get a high commission when you switch - but always those whose monthly basic fees and kilowatt hour prices are low in comparison. "
More background information here: How the energy crisis affects Germany's companies and consumers
2.
To Oldly Go
As of today, the oldest person in space is called William Shatner, whom many only know as Captain Kirk from "Star Trek", but who also made fun of LA as police officer TJ Hooker and shot around as a lawyer Denny Crane in "Boston Legal".
At the age of 90, the actor started a suborbital flight from Texas on board the spaceship "New Shepard" in the afternoon and landed safely about ten minutes later.
While we're discussing 2G or 3G down here, he was experiencing 0G - four minutes in weightlessness.
A PR coup for the space company Blue Origin by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who recently had to do with allegations that there is a »toxic working atmosphere« (more on this here).
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On the screen (in the sixties)
Photo: Mary Evans Picture Library / Ronald Grand / IMAGO
But of course today is a holiday for all "Star Trek" fans.
ABC News came up with the beautiful headline "To Oldly Go" - an allusion to the "Star Trek" intro, which every culturally halfway educated Terran can say by heart.
Nasa wished Shatner all the best before the start and tweeted: "You are, and always shall be, our friend." An allusion to a quote from Mr. Spock in the second movie "The Wrath of Khan".
It is questionable, however, whether it was clear to the social media officers that Spock was saying goodbye to his commander with these words when he accepted the agonizing radiation death in the Enterprise's warp chamber in order to restore the ship's propulsion system by hand.
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On the screen today
Photo: JOSE ROMERO / AFP
Shatner, for all that is known, survived the flight today unscathed.
He hugged Bezos in front of the cameras after he left the capsule.
Moved to tears, he told how impressive and moving the sight of the earth from above was.
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The reusable launch vehicle “New Shepard” brings four tourists into space
Photo: Blue Origin / youtube
On a day like this, it is of course difficult for "Star Trek" fans like me to keep journalistic distance (which my colleagues mocked me for today in the early conference).
But what the heck, I already adored Shatner in an interview without any distance: "May I say captain to you?" In the summer, Shatner had put the patience of many fans to a hard test: He let himself be by the American offshoot of Russian propaganda Engage broadcaster RT, formerly known as "Russia Today".
Space flight today is more conciliatory, even if it's a PR stunt.
The Voyage Home - a success.
Here you can see a video of the space flight: "Star Trek" icon in space
3.
Lauterbach's change of heart
With the price of petrol, the minimum wage and the speed limit, the traffic light explorers have a lot to discuss before a possible coalition agreement can be signed.
On drug policy, however, an agreement could quickly be reached: FDP and the Greens are in favor of legalizing cannabis.
Now the SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach has spoken out in favor of stipulating this in a possible coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP.
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Photo:
Christoph Hardt / imago images / Future Image
In an interview with the Rheinische Post, he advocated allowing controlled distribution to adults in order to put a stop to the trafficking of cannabis mixed with heroin.
“For years I refused to legalize cannabis.
In the meantime, as a doctor, I have come to a different conclusion, ”said Lauterbach.
“More and more often, the illegally sold street cannabis is being mixed with a new type of heroin that can be smoked.
This quickly drives cannabis users into a heroin addiction. "This phenomenon is new and is changing the situation.
The German Hemp Association cannot yet assess whether and how widespread heroin is in cannabis, but it also warns against added synthetic cannabinoids.
Read more here: Lauterbach advocates legalization of cannabis after a change of heart
What else is important today
Kramp-Karrenbauer and Steinmeier pay tribute to the Bundeswehr's Afghanistan mission:
In Berlin, politicians pay tribute to
the Bundeswehr mission
in Afghanistan, which has been completed after 20 years.
The 59 soldiers who died there should also be remembered.
Former foreign minister threatens to cut contributions:
The Polish constitutional court has declared parts of the EU treaty unconstitutional.
Should the EU withhold funds because of this, Poland could cut its contribution payments accordingly, says Witold Waszczykowski.
Investigations against explosives experts of the Bundeswehr:
After the discovery of an arms depot in North Rhine-Westphalia, the public prosecutor's office is investigating a 32-year-old Bundeswehr officer according to SPIEGEL information.
He is a specialist in the defense against booby traps.
What we recommend today at SPIEGEL +
"Kurz will soon be history":
Christian Kern once lost the Chancellery to Sebastian Kurz.
After the resignation of his successor, the social democrat speaks openly about the political and media corruption in Austria - and Kurz's perfidious advancement strategy.
The risky hype about the Biontech share:
The price jumps of the vaccine manufacturer Biontech have made many Germans want to speculate.
Some experts already consider the company to be overrated.
How does an actress invest her money?
Some of her colleagues are very rich, others live in precarious circumstances.
Actress Julia Koschitz tells how she deals with the uncertainties of her job and why she does not buy index funds.
Which is less important today
With a bit of rock music:
Dave Grohl
, 52, founder of the Foo Fighters and former Nirvana drummer, has admitted to having a weakness for Swedish pop music.
He told Zeit-Magazin that he loved one of the most famous Abba songs: "When I hear it, I turn myself into a dancing queen."
Typo of the day
, corrected in the meantime: "Kenya contradicts the claims of the neighboring country for a border correction vehemently"
Cartoon of the day:
widow's pension
And tonight?
Could you start watching this series that almost everyone is talking about right now.
Last night, Netflix announced on its social media channels: "Squid Game" is the group's most watched series at all.
It was number one in the charts in 90 countries, and 111 million households tuned in to the series (according to Netflix logic, two minutes are enough to count content as seen).
"The bloody capitalism satire is a fantasy of violence with roots in reality," writes my colleague Vincent Henssler. "The story varies the topos of the game of life and death known from many horror films." Seong Gi-hun, an unemployed and heavily indebted chauffeur is invited by an opaque power to an island off the South Korean coast. He and his 455 competitors are in the same, hopeless situation: no money and not the slightest hope for a better future. "Now they find themselves back in this remote place, in a hall with beds stacked on top of one another, guarded by figures in red frocks and strange masks and a leader who proclaims equal rights for all," writes Vincent. "There are six games in seven days,the losers are disqualified. ”Whereby disqualification means death. Game over.
You a relaxing evening.
Sincerely
yours, Oliver Trenkamp
Here you can order the "Lage am Abend" by email.
