A Titanic tourism mystery

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     June 20, 2023 This weekend, a submersible that was supposed to be touring the remains of the Titanic went missing in the North Atlantic. Five people were on board. I think the missing vessel, which has set off an international rescue mission, has drawn so much attention because it touches on a very fundamental fear of being helpless in a vast space—think Odysseus lost at sea, hoping the gods would send him friendly winds, or [Major Tom]( floating in outer space. There is also a dire timeline: The vessel was equipped with enough oxygen to last 96 hours, meaning it's set to run out on Thursday morning. But what most amazes me about the submersible saga is that it's possible to tour the Titanic wreck in the first place. Journalist David Pogue took a ride in the submersible last year, and a CBS News clip of him reading the waiver has [gone viral]( on Twitter. "An experimental submersible vessel that has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and could result in physical injury, disability, emotional trauma, or death," he says. "Where do I sign?" A ticket for a civilian to visit the Titanic [reportedly costs]( around a quarter million dollars. The ultra-wealthy can do just about anything: [go to space](, [avoid taxes](, [flee Trumpism](. Adventurism and exploration have always involved eye-popping price tags and life-or-death risks, but the missing vessel—and the long-standing safety concerns surrounding it—nonetheless raises the question: Just because you can do something, should you? —Abigail Weinberg P.S. Our fundraising team asked me to boost the hugely important push for [online donations]( that’s entering crunch time. The upshot? We still have about $235,000 we need to raise from our online community by the end of next week to finish our fiscal year break-even—and they say getting there, or damn close, is possible, but we’re going to need to see more readers [pitch in]( than usually do at this time of year. And there’s more about why this is so urgent and the big, entirely fixable challenge journalism faces in “[News Never Pays](,” or in this [primer about our nonprofit journalism]( and finances. Thanks for helping support our team's work if you can right now! Advertisement [Bookshop]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Hunter Biden Will Plead Guilty to Misdemeanor Tax Charges]( The president's son, who also faces a gun charge, is unlikely to serve any prison time as part of the deal. BY ARIANNA COGHILL [We need your help right now] There's no sugarcoating it: We face a real budget crunch and need to raise $390,000 in online donations by June 30 to finish our fiscal year break-even. We've already cut everything we can, and there is zero wiggle room to come up short. So we're hoping that [donations from our regular newsletter readers](, from you reading this blurb right now, will come in much stronger than normal to help us get there. Please pitch in if you can right now. [Donate]( [Trending] [In 2019, Melinda Katz ran against DSA for Queens DA. Now it's New York's police lobby.]( BY MAGGIE DUFFY   [Trillions in oil and farm subsidies are causing "environmental havoc"]( BY DAMIAN CARRINGTON   [Evictions are soaring beyond pre-pandemic numbers]( BY RUTH MURAI   [Spirituality, global warming, and grief: How clergy can help tackle climate anxiety]( BY REBECCA RANDALL Advertisement [House Sustainer Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Booting 18-Year-Olds From Disability Rolls Has Lifelong Consequences]( Youth who lost benefits at 18 were twice as likely to be charged with a crime as they were to hold a job. BY MARK BETANCOURT Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755