Here’s some corporate madness: Walmart has fired four security guards because they disarmed a shoplifter who pulled a gun on them.
Our government in action: A Palm Beach County man was scolded by his local government for organizing a clean up of trash on private properties.
SpaceX announced that it has laid off some employees at a Texas facility in connection with a restructuring plan.
The new space race: Boeing and Indian space agency are discussing a possible manned mission.
An extraordinary photo opportunity: Use the Soyuz to photograph ISS next month when the shuttle and the Japanese and European cargo ships are all docked to ISS.
Now for some squealing from the “press”: Tea Party freshmen may rue $100B in cuts. I like this comment in response to the story:
Where was the press when Democrats passed $800 billion in useless stimulus? Where were they when unemployment shot up and over the 8% limit Democrats said we would reach without the lame stimulus? They sure jump up when you come up short on $100 billion in cuts…good luck and go after entitlements, please.
The fungus that has been killing cave hibernating bats throughout the eastern United States has now been found in North Carolina.
In a related note, the National Speleological Society has sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, expressing its concern over what many cavers believe has been the government’s indiscriminate cave closure policies in response to the white nose fungus. Key quote:
Our members have been extremely patient and collaborative throughout the entire [white nose syndrome] situation, but the frustration and discontent has been growing. We are hearing more and more from across the country that cavers do not want to participate in collaborative efforts – in much part due to management decisions by federal and state agencies that are perceived by knowledgeable and conservation-minded cavers to be over-reactive, based on sometimes slim science, speculation and political pressure, and insensitive to broader science and conservation issues. That result would not be beneficial to anyone.
A warning to users of climbing and caving gear: Counterfeit Petzl equipment from China has been found on the market, and is dangerously defective.
Change! The House kills a decades-old $2.4 billion pork program. Key quote:
The Trade Adjustment Assistance program dates back to the Kennedy-era Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and was expanded under the 1974 Trade Act, signed into law by Gerald Ford. It was the kind of bipartisan program thought to be bulletproof. In the last session, it went from a small program, designed to aid workers displaced by foreign trade, to a huge $2.4 billion pork program providing laid-off workers with 156 weeks of “income support,” subsidies and even education.
Even as Congress argues over NASA’s budget, Constellation marches on! The first completed Orion capsule was shipped from the factory yesterday to undergo tests.
Government in action: “Hey, I thought she was mine! I was gonna do her!”
SpaceX has put the Dragon 9 space capsule that flew in space on display in D.C. Though it is really cool that they are making the capsule so available to the public, this quote tells us the real story:
With Congress preparing in the weeks ahead to again address the question of government contracts for commercial space businesses such as SpaceX, the company wanted to give it (and attendees of the nearby FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference) an opportunity to see the capsule. Members of Congress and of the Obama administration were invited to attend a Thursday evening viewing, and company officials said the response has been enthusiastic.
Los Angeles gets tough with political protesters who break the law.
Understand that I do not consider this action by LA to be an attack on free speech, since the prosecutions all focus on illegal disruptive protests, such as blocking traffic for hours. Protest in a free society must be encouraged, as long as it doesn’t impinge on the rights of others. These protests did.
Keep this momentum going! The House Republican leadership was forced this week to increase its proposed budget cuts to $100 billion because of tea party movement pressure, both in the House and back at home. Key quote from this New York Times report:
The reversal was the most concrete demonstration yet that the wave of fiscal conservatives who catapulted Republicans into the House majority is reshaping the political and policy calculations being made by the party leadership.
Fifteen ancient mysteries that aren’t so mysterious.
Repeal the damn bill! The director of the Congressional Budget Office admitted today that Obamacare will destroy about 800,000 jobs.
The revolt of the freshman Republicans is working: The House science panel is going to revisit its budget cut proposals for science from yesterday and find ways to cut more.
This is truly hopeful news: Freshman GOP to leadership: Business as usual is over.
More details on Liberty, the Ares/Ariane hybrid rocket proposed by ATK and Alliant to provide crew/cargo capabilities to ISS. Key quote:
[Liberty] would be able to lift 44,500 lb. of payload to the International Space Station, enough for any of the commercial crew capsules under development as potential space shuttle replacements.
We need to find them! Trees from space, planted here on Earth. You can see the known list here.
Oy. A metal tool came apart last night and its scattered pieces fell on the shuttle Discovery. Fortunately, careful inspection of the orbiter has found no damage.
Now for some squeals from the right: Why we must never, ever cut the military budget!
More proof that guns make society safer: The “bloodbath” feared by gun-ban advocates due to the increase in concealed carry permits never happened.
