The Know Daily - Wednesday 27 March 2024

_{Read in 5m 17s ∙ Listening to SALES ∙}

✨ We’re hiring a staff writer! Scroll down to find out more ✨

The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall is the southernmost place in mainland Britain - and it’s also the focus of a new scheme by Natural England. The two-year recovery project aims to nurture “modest looking” plants such as lichens, liverworts and wildflowers that are in fact key to the survival of the entire ecosystem and landscape, said The Guardian.

🧑‍⚖️ The case against Julian Assange, explained

London’s High Court yesterday delayed Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States on espionage charges. Here’s how we got here.

First things first: who is Assange?
He’s a 52-year-old Australian national who founded WikiLeaks, a platform that publishes many confidential or restricted official documents related to war, spying and corruption, explained the BBC. Legal action against Assange started in 2010, after the platform published a series of leaks about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars by former US Army soldier Chelsea Manning.

In 2012, Assange sought refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden in connection with sexual assault allegations. He remained there until 2019, when his asylum was withdrawn following a series of disputes with Ecuadorian authorities. 

What happened next?
Upon his departure from the embassy, UK authorities arrested Assange on behalf of the US, where he faces 18 counts of espionage. US prosecutors argue that Assange’s actions have put innocent lives at risk, but his supporters say he safeguards free speech and that the case against him “criminalises journalism”. 

Since then, Assange has spent the past five years fighting extradition - and last month, he took to London’s High Court in a last-ditch attempt to avoid it.

So what happened yesterday?
The court put Assange’s extradition on temporary hold, saying the US must provide “satisfactory assurances” that he will receive a fair trial and not face the death penalty. However, they rejected his lawyers’ arguments that the case was politically motivated.

The US has three weeks to provide these assurances - and if they don’t, Assange will be allowed a full appeal hearing against his extradition in May.

 📈 Surge pricing proves popular

The owner of UK attractions including Madame Tussauds and Legoland is set to introduce surge pricing, as the model proves increasingly popular across the entertainment industry.

First things first: what’s surge pricing?
Also known as dynamic pricing, it’s where prices fluctuate as demand goes up and down - but it’s not the same as offering a fixed discount at off-peak times. Instead, as The Guardian explains, surge pricing systems - which are already used by budget airlines and taxi apps such as Uber - use “machine learning” to flex prices almost straight away.

And we’re about to see more of it?
Yep. Merlin Entertainments - which owns sites including Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers and Sea Life - this week announced plans to introduce a “dynamic pricing model” at its top 20 global attractions by the end of this year.

The company’s chief executive Scott O’Neil told The Financial Times that this would look like customers paying more during “peak holiday season” compared with “a rainy Tuesday in March”. The move comes amid a post-pandemic fall in visitors - although as the paper notes, the company posted record revenues of £2.1bn in 2023.

How’s the news gone down?
While O'Neil said that dynamic pricing would help reduce overcrowding and wait times, customers weren’t so enthusiastic, pointing out that many people are only able to visit such attractions during peak times like weekends and school holidays.

And it’s not the only company to face backlash over surge pricing. Earlier this year, the US burger chain Wendy’s was forced to backtrack after announcing plans to “experiment” with dynamic pricing on its menus, later clarifying that it would only lower prices at slower times of the day.

🙅 Cleaning up ads: In a bid to create a greener place to live, Sheffield City Council has introduced a ban on ads and sponsorship which “fuel the climate crisis”. 

🇺🇸 US news: On Tuesday morning, a major bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a container ship collided with it. Here’s what we know so far. 

📵 Social media screening: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis yesterday approved a new law limiting social media use for under-16s, in a bid to protect young users from online harm.

👏 Wage win: The UK’s minimum wage is the “single most successful economic policy in a generation”, according to a leading thinktank. 

🥮 Eggsquisite sweets: Looking to enjoy something other than chocolate eggs this bank hol? Here are the best Easter desserts from around the world.

Help your friends feel better about the news - and support The Know at the same time. Get them to sign up using your personalised code 👉 https://theknowmedia.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER 👈 and we’ll reward you with goodies from HURR, Grubby and CRU Kafe!

The Know is an independent media company on a mission to help everyone start their day feeling informed and hopeful. We only recommend things we genuinely love but sometimes we make money out of the links and content we share. This directly supports keeping our journalism free for all.

Here are four ways you can support our work:

⭐ Get clicking - this tells our partners that readers are interested in our content. Let’s get started with this one (or maybe this one!).

⭐ Become a friend of The Know - back independent, female-founded journalism for just £1.25 a week. You’ll also get exclusive editions, supporter-only giveaways and more.

⭐ Add us to your contacts or safe sender list - this makes sure we reach your inbox (and everyone else’s) each morning.

⭐ Shop our merch - support The Know and look great while doing it!

Trivia answer: B) The “hedgehog” that was rushed to an animal hospital in Cheshire was actually a fluffy pom pom. Tbh, we can see how the mix-up would happen. 

Need fewer emails? Click here to hear from us once a week.