Spain’s fascinating lottery.

Spain’s Christmas lottery is fascinating. It began in 1812, and billions are given away each year. Unlike in the U.S., nobody walks away with the bulk of it. The number is only five digits long, so this year 1,850 people will receive a $430,000 share of the $3.1B pot. I find government lotteries both shameful …

Chikungunya in Italy.

Global warming deniers say that there ain’t nothin’ wrong with a little 2°F temperature increase — who could it affect? Ask a resident of Castiglione di Cervia. Global climate change has increased the range of tiger mosquitos, leading to an outbreak of dengue fever in Italy this August. The mosquitos’ range now extends into Switzerland …