Obama sends Congress his $3.73 trillion budget proposal.
Note that today is budget announcement day in Washington. The Obama administration is releasing its proposed federal budget for 2012, available for Congress to accept, revise, reject, change, or ignore. More shortly on what this means for NASA.
Debt now equals total U.S. economy. And that’s according to the Obama administration!
Astronauts on the Russian Mars500 simulated Mars mission simulated a Mars landing on Saturday. Key quote:
Three astronauts on the Mars500 simulated mission will make a simulated walk on the Mars “surface” Monday. After working 30 days on the simulated planet, the crew will then embark on a simulated 240-day return trip to Earth. Officials said the 520-day Mars500 mission is designed to test how humans cope with the physical and mental stresses of a long space flight.
It ain’t enough but I like the trend: Obama’s new budget to be released tomorrow will promise $1.1 trillion in deficit reduction over next decade.
An evening pause: Believe it or not, a tuba solo, entitled Fnugg Blue, played by Øystein Baadsvik.
Bernanke to Congress: We’re much closer to total destruction than you think. Key quote:
One way or the other, fiscal adjustments sufficient to stabilize the federal budget must occur at some point. The question is whether these adjustments will take place through a careful and deliberative process that weighs priorities and gives people adequate time to adjust to changes in government programs or tax policies, or whether the needed fiscal adjustments will come as a rapid and painful response to a looming or actual fiscal crisis.
House Republicans propose even deeper NASA cuts.
The government free ride is ending. If you want us to go into space, you better consider buying a ticket.
An evening pause:
Keep those cuts coming! The House GOP today released its 2011 spending bill, claiming to include $100 billion in cuts. It seems that everyone gets hit, even defense. Worst hit, however, is EPA, with a 29% reduction from its 2010 budget.
You can see the summary here. [pdf]
Here’s some corporate madness: Walmart has fired four security guards because they disarmed a shoplifter who pulled a gun on them.
