#Kick Kennedy 2024 vehicles

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The Reign of Luxury Cars in 2024

Luxury cars in 2024 are nothing short of masterpieces, combining cutting-edge technology with elegant design. And who better to guide us through the crème de la crème of luxury vehicles than Kick Kennedy? Known for her impeccable taste and passion for all things luxurious, Kick Kennedy has her finger on the pulse of the automotive world. In this article, we’ll explore the top luxury cars of 2024 that have captured her attention.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., March 30 (UPI) -- Having rolled the Space Launch System lunar rocket out to its launch pad and powered it up successfully, NASA engineers and technicians say they're just about ready for a prelaunch wet dress rehearsal this week.

During the prelaunch test, which is scheduled to kick off Friday, the rocket and team will run through launch day procedures from fueling to just before startup, without actually launching the behemoth.

"NASA's mega moon rocket is sitting at the pad, it's powered up and ready for final testing," Tom Whitmeyer, NASA's deputy associate administrator for common exploration systems development, said during a media teleconference Tuesday.

The news sets the stage for the massive SLS to blast off an a jaunt around the moon in the next few months. Before it can do that, the rocket needs to carry out its last major milestone, a wet dress rehearsal.

RELATED NASA's new moon rocket emerges for first time in launch pad rollout

"Wet dress is a two-day test designed to closely follow the launch day countdown," said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, NASA Exploration Ground Systems program at Kennedy Space Center.

Blackwell-Thompson said the teams will put a variety of systems through their paces, including the command and control system in the launch control center, as well as ground systems at the launch pad.

Engineers will also load, and unload, the vehicle with the 700,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen the vehicle's engines and core stage rely on.

"Tanking -- fuel loading -- is a very interesting process," Whitmeyer said. "The fuel is very cold, so it's like watching a ballet -- you've got pressure, volume and temperature all working in sync as the fuel is loading."

RELATED NASA pushes back astronaut lunar landing goal to 2025

The planned wet dress follows the slow trek from NASA's massive Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad, a journey that took the mega launcher about 11 hours.

"[The rollout] was an iconic moment -- a very special moment for us here at NASA," Whitmayer said. "We had more than 7,000 people in attendance at the rollout -- these folks are the ones who have worked so hard on this rocket."

Conceived in 2011, NASA has spent more than a decade on the development of SLS. The eventual goal is for the vehicle to carry astronauts and cargo out into deep space, the moon and Mars.

Each SLS rocket uses four RS-25 engines to launch its 212-foot-tall core stage. It also relies on two solid rocket boosters strapped to the core's sides and an upper stage to propel NASA's Orion crew capsule beyond low-Earth orbit.

SLS is expected to embark on a series of lunar missions, culminating in boots on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.

The first mission, called Artemis 1, will send the SLS rocket currently perched atop Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on an uncrewed trip around the moon. It will be the first-ever flight for the SLS and the second for its crew capsule, called Orion, which took an uncrewed trip around the Earth in 2014.

Lasting roughly a month, Artemis 1 is to be followed by Artemis 2 in 2024, sending astronauts around the moon. Artemis 3 is expected to land people on the moon as soon as 2025 or 2026.

Once the prelaunch testing is complete, the rocket will be rolled back to NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building, where the SLS was pieced together.

After a thorough review of the data, NASA plans to announce an official start date for the Artemis 1 mission, which is expected no earlier than June. The agency said will set a firmer launch date once testing is complete and engineers know how the vehicle performed.

The agency last month said the launch would slip to April or May, noting at the time that there were no "major issues" but that there were things to close out ahead of the uncrewed test flight of the new rocket.

[tastydregs]

For Just $125,000, You Too Can Take a Balloon Ride to Space

Gif: Space Perspective (YouTube) / Gizmodo

All aboard the space balloon!

For a mere $125,000, you can now purchase a trip to soar into Earth’s upper atmosphere aboard Space Perspective’s luxury space balloon. This week, the Florida-based company began accepting reservations for its inaugural voyage, with liftoffs set to begin from Kennedy Space Center in 2024.

Passengers will float above the stratosphere on the Spaceship Neptune, a balloon-borne pressurized capsule that offers a 360-degree panoramic view of their surroundings and is outfitted with non-glare windows for photography. Amenities include reclining seats, onboard bathrooms, a fully stocked bar, and, of course, Wi-Fi so you can send out space tweets to let all those nerds on the ground know how cool you are.

As for the balloon itself, it grows to the “size of a football stadium” when fully inflated and can ascend as high as 20 miles (30 kilometers) above the ground, according to Space Perspective. And in case you were wondering: Yes, the craft has a backup parachute capable of safely getting it back down to Earth if things get hairy.

Reserving a single seat will set you back $1,000, or you can go all out and reserve a full, eight-seat craft for just $8,000. The six-hour trip is designed to be low-impact and doesn’t require passengers to undergo special training or wear spacesuits, the company says.

“The space curious who would have considered it either too risky—or expensive—now have the opportunity to experience the exhilaration of traveling to space, with a safe and gentle ascent, a world away from rocket-fueled space endeavors,” Space Perspective said in a press release Wednesday.

G/O Media may get a commission

The company passed a major milestone earlier this month after successfully completing an uncrewed test flight of its Neptune One test vehicle, a full-size Spaceship Neptune simulator. Additional unmanned test flights are currently underway.

“This test flight of Neptune One kicks off our extensive test flight campaign, which will be extremely robust because we can perform tests without a pilot, making Spaceship Neptune an extremely safe way to go to space,” said Space Perspective founder and co-CEO Taber MacCallum in a press release at the time.

The company hasn’t confirmed how many tickets it’s sold so far, but MacCallum’s wife and co-CEO, Jane Poynter, told Florida Today that the response has been “insanely good.” Space Perspective has been selling tickets privately to gauge interest, and their first several flights are already sold out, she said. MacCallum also told the outlet that they’ve had a range of clientele express interests.

“We’ve got families that want to go together. We’ve got couples that want to propose or have their wedding. It’s accessible to life events,” MacCallum told said.

Which makes it sound like we’re not too far off from throwing children’s birthday parties in the stratosphere. Hey, stuff a few arcade cabinets in there, and you’ve got yourself a space Chuck E. Cheese. 

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Usa today School's in with Alice Cooper, Muhammad Ali's gym, Goldblum vs. plastic: News from around our 50 states

Usa today

Usa today Alabama

Birmingham: The metropolis has kicked off a brand unusual anti-littering campaign. Mayor Randall Woodfin and neighborhood leaders within the Bush Hills neighborhood on Tuesday launched the Don’t be a D.U.M.M.Y. campaign – “Dumping Grotesque Mess in My Yard.” The mayor and of us in varied Birmingham communities are drained of illegal trash dumping, WBRC-TV reviews. “Of us are too overjoyed dumping in our metropolis. Whether or not they dwell here or bring it into the metropolis, we desire to form one thing sure and simple for folks: That is illegitimate,” Woodfin acknowledged. He needs residents to whine any illegal dumping by calling 311. They'll pick video or photography of of us or their vehicles and plug to the metropolis Justice of the Peace’s dwelling of enterprise to signal out warrants for his or her arrest, he urged. First-time offenders will face a $500 elegant. For a second or subsequent offense, it doubles to $1,000.

Usa today Alaska

Fairbanks: A federal appeals court has reversed the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by four men who contend they accept been illegally imprisoned for nearly two a protracted time. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned a lower court ruling that brushed apart a lawsuit by the “Fairbanks Four” towards the metropolis, KTVF-television reviews. George Frese, Kevin Pease, Marvin Roberts and Eugene Vent accept been convicted of extinguish within the 1997 death of Fairbanks teen John Hartman. The men spent 18 years in penal advanced whereas they asserted their innocence and appealed their convictions. After a five-week listening to that re-examined the cases in detail and presented the case that others killed Hartman, the convictions accept been vacated in December 2015. The four men sued the metropolis for wrongful imprisonment and acknowledged an settlement that ended in their release, wherein they agreed to not sue, turned into once not legally binding because they accept been coerced.

Usa today Arizona

Mesa: Alice Cooper’s Stable Rock Teen Heart is expanding into the metropolis. The legendary rocker and his wife, Sheryl Cooper, accept been at Westwood Excessive College on Wednesday to roar a partnership with Mesa Public Colleges. They projected a summer 2020 opening of a second Stable Rock Teen Heart in a extinct predominant faculty downtown. Alice Cooper’s Stable Rock Teen Amenities will fund the renovations and provide better than $100,000 value of song, arts and dance programming to formative years ages 12 to 20 and the native neighborhood. The Mesa heart grew out of the Hall of Famer’s annual Rock & Roll Fundraising Bash at Las Sendas Golf Membership in east Mesa. The celebrated Stable Rock Teen Heart opened in 2012 in Phoenix, in-constructed partnership with Genesis Church and Cooper’s Stable Rock Basis after better than a decade of fundraising.

Usa today Arkansas

Jonesboro: Residents successfully-known a aspect motorway being renamed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. this week after months of contentious debate. About 100 of us gathered Monday at the intersection of Commerce and Highland Drives to scrutinize a brand unusual aspect motorway signal’s unveiling after a parade and program on Arkansas Stammer University’s campus to commemorate King’s legacy. “The seek knowledge from is requested once at the moment, enact we accrued must celebrate Dr. King’s holiday? While you adopted the efforts this one year to derive a aspect motorway title within the honor of Dr. King in Jonesboro and one of the necessary language outdated within the discuss and editorials, you be conscious there accrued remains a necessity for programs adore this,” the Rev. Ray Scales acknowledged. Emma Agnew, president of Craighead County’s National Affiliation for the Pattern of Colored Of us, impressed the viewers to register to vote at the match, asking them to accept in mind of us who died combating for the steady to vote and to select their legacy severely.

Usa today California

Sacramento: A push to stream first-in-the-nation proposals to restrict single-utilize plastic containers and other items drew make stronger from actor Jeff Goldblum on Wednesday. Environmental groups hail California’s proposal as a landmark strive to lower down on 75% of waste from plastic items adore takeout boxes, meals containers and utensils. The bills diagram to attain the target within a decade. “I feel adore we’re getting able to conducting one thing,” Goldblum acknowledged, likening the proposal to President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 moon-shot speech. The two bills, one within the Assembly and one other within the Senate, would require corporations to lessen single-utilize packaging as worthy as doubtless by 2024 and form definite products made or imported into California after 2030 are recyclable or might perhaps perhaps likely even be composted. Goldblum and advocates met with representatives from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s dwelling of enterprise and lawmakers at the Capitol. They delivered signed letters of make stronger from January Jones, Ted Danson, and other actors and activists.

Usa today Colorado

Denver: Immigration and customs officials violated federal legislation by refusing to release documents about of us who're not residents, a Colorado federal court bid acknowledged. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outdated the guideline to declare the release of files a minimal of 333 cases between July 2017 and April 2019, The Denver Put up reviews. The court ordered ICE to swap its nationwide long-established working procedure and follow the Freedom of Info Act. The case started in 2013 in Glenwood Springs when criminal educated Jennifer Smith requested documents about her shopper, however ICE refused to release them for the rationale that shopper turned into once deemed a fugitive, authorities acknowledged. Releasing the documents might perhaps perhaps likely also succor of us evade immigration enforcement, ICE officials acknowledged.

Usa today Connecticut

Hartford: A unusual financial action idea will likely be rolled out within the advise that can consist of incentives to entice employers to its cities and promote the expansion of girls folks- and minority-owned companies, essentially essentially based on a high advise real. David Lehman, commissioner of enterprise and neighborhood development, launched a solid push will likely be coming to develop hubs of innovation within the manufacturing, successfully being care, insurance coverage and bio-science industries, the Hartford Courant reviews. Lehman acknowledged there might perhaps be an effort to focal level these innovations in cities and toughen networks that will likely be enough for Connecticut to turn into competitive among greater cities adore Boston and Recent York. For the rationale that final recession, the advise has struggled to accept jobs, with the most modern count exhibiting staunch 85% accept been added abet. Lehman acknowledged Gov. Ned Lamont will roll out a idea within the approaching weeks that he hopes will solution and unravel many of the advise’s financial and development factors.

Usa today Delaware

Dover: A proposal by Democratic advise lawmakers to outlaw hand-crafted “ghost weapons,” which is able to’t be traced by legislation enforcement agents because they don’t accept serial numbers or are fashioned from parts created with 3D printers, has cleared its first legislative hurdle. A Democrat-led Dwelling committee voted to release the invoice Wednesday after an hourlong public listening to, though its chief sponsor, Dwelling Majority Chief Valerie Longhurst, acknowledged she plans to amend the invoice after meeting Tuesday with representatives of the National Rifle Affiliation. Longhurst acknowledged her amendments would include a share-in date all the highest arrangement through which owners of existing weapons would desire to impress serial numbers for his or her weapons, exempting muzzle loaders and replicas of antique firearms, and allowing licensed firearms dealers to legally take care of gun parts that enact not accept serial numbers.

Usa today District of Columbia

Washington: Despite months of issue from college students, faculty and folks, the chancellor for D.C. Public Colleges launched Thursday that Washington Met will shut at the tip of the college one year, WUSA-TV reviews. The news brought on a community of college students to plug out of class Thursday morning in issue, chanting “Set up Washington Met!” and carrying signs noting, “College closures disproportionately happen to sad and brown communities.” Chancellor Lewis Ferebee’s in the starting up announcement Nov. 26 of a proposal to shut the college turned into once met with outrage from some stakeholders. He cited low enrollment and fulfillment compared to DCPS’ three other alternative academies. The district hosted two neighborhood forums to have options and gave the overall public of project to supply enter except Dec. 20, which critics acknowledged turned into once not nearly enough time.

Usa today Florida

Tallahassee: The advise Dwelling on Wednesday moved to repeal a sturdy price charged with inserting constitutional amendments sooner than voters. On a 93-25 vote, the Dwelling despatched the joint decision to the Senate. If the Senate furthermore approves, it would send the matter to voters in November. The Structure Revision Commission turned into once established in 1968 and meets once every 20 years to accept in mind measures to position sooner than the advise’s electorate. “Possibly it served a right reason at one time,” acknowledged Procure. Brad Drake, a Republican. “Their reason turned into once to form revisions to the structure, to not turn into coverage makers – that’s our job.” The price final met in 2018 and positioned seven measures on the ballot – all of which accept been current by voters. Among these turned into once a ban on offshore oil and gasoline drilling and vaping in enclosed indoor locations of work. One other measure barred public officials from lobbying for compensation whereas in dwelling of enterprise and 6 years thereafter.

Usa today Georgia

Atlanta: Proposed budget cuts might perhaps perhaps likely also imply fewer advise troopers on the aspect motorway, fewer lawyers defending unhappy of us and fewer probation officers, advise agency heads urged lawmakers Wednesday as budget hearings persisted. Gov. Brian Kemp has proposed overall will increase to the advise budget, largely in step with greater pay for academics; elevated funding for K-12 colleges, colleges and universities; and better spending on the advise-federal Medicaid successfully being insurance coverage program. But Kemp has proposed better than $200 million in cuts to other companies for the leisure of the hot budget one year and further for the budget one year starting July 1. Division of Public Security Commissioner Col. Observe McDonough urged lawmakers he would leave 55 trooper positions delivery within the 2021 budget one year and warned that “a reduction in troopers on the roadways equates to an lengthen in fatalities.”

Usa today Hawaii

Hilo: The Stable Spoil Advisory Committee within the advise has proposed a idea that involves 82 waste administration options preserving 9 programs. The committee furthermore heard options at a public listening to in Hilo on Tuesday, West Hawaii On the present time reviews. The committee made options including to habits public awareness campaigns, gradually evaluation the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill contract and habits extra household dangerous waste sequence occasions, officials acknowledged. Some residents furthermore made options to the committee. “The principle manner to landfill reduction is public schooling,” acknowledged Melody Euaparadorn of Zero Spoil Fleshy Island. Participants of the Sierra Membership’s Hawaii Island Neighborhood acknowledged the committee can accept to enact a disposal price on all bought products at the level of grab, an environmental affect price on tourists and negotiations for an spoil date with Spoil Administration Inc., which operates the West Hawaii landfill.

Usa today Idaho

Boise: The advise’s residents wouldn’t desire to tumble abet or spring forward for daylight hours saving time below legislation launched Thursday. The Dwelling Stammer Affairs Committee voted to introduce the measure brought forward by Republican Procure. Christy Zito. She acknowledged the twice-a-one year time swap turned into once a safety hazard that induced transient jet trot ensuing in accidents among motorists and pedestrians. She acknowledged it furthermore elevated the possibilities of strokes and coronary heart attacks. Zito launched same legislation final one year, however it failed within the elephantine Dwelling on a 55-15 vote. A same fate is anticipated this one year, and there turned into once some mirth among lawmakers on the committee. “At this level, it appears to be like adore the single one who can mess with time is God,” acknowledged Procure. Vito Barbieri, who is in prefer of ending daylight hours saving time and moved to approve introducing the invoice. “We’re going to investigate cross-test but again.” Zito acknowledged getting the invoice signed is a prolonged shot however acknowledged it’s high on the list of what her roral constituents desire.

Usa today Illinois

Springfield: Grant funds will provide nearly $30 million for efforts all over the advise to develop delivery spaces and impress and make stronger recreational products and companies. Gov. J.B. Pritzker released the list of 85 projects dreary final week. They are going to receive $29.7 million from the Delivery Dwelling Land Acquisition and Pattern program through the Illinois Division of Natural Sources. “Investments in native park projects are correct for families and game followers, serving to them abilities delivery air activities and making Illinois communities greater locations to dwell and work,” Pritzker acknowledged in an announcement. OSLAD money supports up to half of a challenge’s value. With native matching funds, the grant awards will quilt $56 million in park tendencies and delivery-dwelling land purchases. OSLAD, begun in 1987, receives funding from a portion of the advise’s Right Estate Transfer Tax.

Usa today Indiana

Crown Level: Work is underway for a conflict memorial that turned into once delayed for years by the Substantial Recession after the 2008 monetary disaster. Crews started clearing bushes final week in Crown Level for the memorial, which will characteristic three separate monuments: one for World War I veterans, one other for World War II veterans and one for victims of the Holocaust. The two conflict memorials will likely be positioned at reverse ends of a prolonged walkway lined with plaques with knowledge giving company a clearer figuring out of the occasions between the 2 wars, The (Northwest Indiana) Instances reviews. Mitch Barloga, president of the Pals of Veterans Memorial Parkway, says the diagram is to accept the memorial accomplished by 2021 or no later than 2022.

Usa today Iowa

Des Moines: The advise will turn into the most modern to develop an organization within advise authorities designed to forestall faculty shootings below a idea launched Tuesday by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Reynolds acknowledged she’s rising a Governor’s College Security Bureau all over the Iowa Division of Public Security. It might perhaps perhaps perhaps likely value $2 million to delivery and $1.5 million yearly to characteristic, and Reynolds acknowledged she’s integrated wished funding in her legislative budget expect. “Info headlines about faculty shootings and threats at unsuspecting communities all over The United States are becoming all too long-established,” she acknowledged. “Even though these headlines don’t on the total involve colleges in Iowa, we are able to’t wait except they enact to behave.” Corpulent-time bureau instructors will put together native legislation enforcement officers and college staff in figuring out and responding fleet in a fixed arrangement. Reynolds’ idea calls for hiring two extra advise agents with cyber practising to title and take care of early threats.

Usa today Kansas

Hutchinson: The family of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the main man to step on the moon, has donated two items that accept been aboard the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 to the Cosmosphere dwelling museum in Hutchinson. Armstrong’s two sons donated a 4-by-6-poke U.S. flag and a little portion of area matter from the scramble of the Wright Flyer, the main flying machine constructed by the Wright brothers, the museum launched Wednesday. The portion of area matter turned into once within the lunar module when it touched down on the moon, the museum acknowledged. Neil Armstrong died in 2012. “Once I visited the Cosmosphere in 2019, it turned into once clearly a world-class dwelling museum, however I didn’t leer the leisure from Apollo 11 (mission) on repeat, and it gave the impact evident to me that they must accept one thing from the flight,” Rick Armstrong acknowledged in a news release. The unusual donations will likely be positioned on show mask later this one year.

Usa today Kentucky

Louisville: Of us passing by the gym the set up Muhammad Ali learned to box can leer a brand unusual historical marker that has been positioned there. The Columbia Gymnasium at Spalding University furthermore has a crimson bicycle hanging over the doorway to the gym. Ali’s crimson bike turned into once stolen when he turned into once young, main him to a police officer who educated at the gym. Officer Joe Martin urged Ali, then identified as Cassius Clay, that he would desire to be taught to fight, and Clay started practising at the same gym. Info outlets whine the marker turned into once unveiled final week, the day sooner than Ali would accept grew to turn into 78. He died in 2016. Ali’s brother, Rahman Ali, helped unveil the marker. He acknowledged his brother’s “entire existence” started at Columbia Gymnasium.

Usa today Louisiana

Recent Orleans: A historic brewery that’s been shuttered since Storm Katrina will officially reopen in a brand unusual dwelling this weekend. Dixie Brewery plans to eliminate a large opening Saturday, news outlets whine. It in the starting up opened in 1907. Floods and looting after the hurricane contributed to its closure, The Instances-Picayune/The Recent Orleans Imply reviews. The unusual facility is delivery to the overall public and boasts a bar, cafe, delivery air dwelling, museum and games. The brewery will furthermore supply tours exhibiting parts of the manufacturing direction of, essentially essentially based on news outlets. The brewery has created jobs for better than 40 of us, WVUE-TV reviews. The long-established supervisor acknowledged he hopes the skill turns trusty into a landmark for folks visiting Recent Orleans. “I imply, within the event you plug to Cafe Du Monde for a beignet, you desire to attain abet to Dixie for a beer,” Jim Birch acknowledged.

Usa today Maine

Augusta: The governor outdated her first Stammer of the Stammer take care of this week to paint a portray of the Pine Tree Stammer as a home of compromise and bipartisanship in an technology marked by political gridlock in masses of locations. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills themed Tuesday’s take care of “We're not Washington; we're Maine” and stuck to a theme of working together to spice up successfully being care derive admission to, give protection to the surroundings and develop the financial system. Mills, who has outdated her first one year in dwelling of enterprise to focal level on factors corresponding to Medicaid expansion, tackling native climate swap and solving the advise’s opioid disaster, furthermore ticked off accomplishments that she acknowledged point out Maine is in correct fingers. “We now accept got made progress, and we accept accomplished so with out rancor or bitterness,” Mills urged the gang within the Maine Dwelling of Representatives chambers, furthermore touting “the safety and saneness of our accept little outpost” all the highest arrangement through the advise’s bicentennial one year.

Usa today Maryland

Baltimore: A unusual whine says a necessary shortage of law enforcement officials within the metropolis is delaying loads of the reforms which might perhaps perhaps likely be required below a federal consent decree. The whine turned into once authored by an impartial monitoring staff of policing and civil rights experts, essentially essentially based on the Baltimore Sun. The staff wrote that staffing challenges can accept staggering outcomes on overall reforms. The division accomplished 2019 with 31 fewer officers than it had when the one year started. A manual impartial not too prolonged ago concluded the division needs to rent 300 extra officers and 100 civilians to adequately staff areas corresponding to patrol and internal affairs. The consent decree – which adopted a federal investigation that came all over officers mechanically violated residents’ civil rights, particularly in sad neighborhoods – requires enhancements in how police interact with youths and answer to residents with mental disabilities apart from to sexual assault victims.

Usa today Massachusetts

Swansea: A Purpose worker who faced criticism by a buyer upset over the value of a toothbrush got better than $30,000 in donations for a vacation fund. Tori Perotti turned into once overwhelmed with make stronger from social media users after a buyer took to Twitter to name her out for the value of an electrical toothbrush final week, news outlets whine. The supervisor at the Swansea Purpose turned into once approached by David Leavitt when he tried to grab an electrical toothbrush that he acknowledged turned into once marked on sale for $0.01 however turned into once essentially $89.99. When Perotti refused to promote the toothbrush to Leavitt for a cent, he grew to turn into to his better than 200,000 Twitter followers to jot down that Perotti “is just not honoring the value of their items,” in accordance to advise legislation. He added in one other tweet that he turned into once going to name 911 over the incident. Social media users came to Perrotti’s protection at the moment after, with one individual going as some distance as starting a GoFundMe page.

Usa today Michigan

Immense Haven: File-high water levels on the Substantial Lakes are wreaking havoc alongside the advise’s coastlines, swallowing beaches and properties, swamping sewer programs, flooding roads and public constructions, and turning farm fields into lakes. And it’s only anticipated to derive worse this one year, advise lawmakers accept been urged Thursday. “We received’t accept worthy of a seaside this summer. We’re telling of us to devise on getting your feet moist within the event you attain here,” acknowledged Pat McGinnis, metropolis supervisor of Immense Haven, which sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. “We had to shut a public constructing attributable to mold factors from the upper water. We’re shutting them down and tearing them down, and there might perhaps be not always a insurance coverage coverage.” In Saginaw County, the set up the Saginaw River leads into Lake Huron, Public Works Commissioner Brian Wendling acknowledged there’s no dwelling for the water to stream anymore.

Usa today Minnesota

Minneapolis: The advise Supreme Court has upheld the metropolis’s authority to impose a minimal wage that’s greater than the advise’s. The ruling follows three years of fine combating over the $15 minimal wage as is viewed as a victory for laborers and the metropolis. The manufacturing and affords company Graco Inc. sued in 2017 to investigate cross-test to block the $15 wage from taking form, essentially essentially based on the Big title Tribune. Graco argued it would develop a patchwork of compensation requirements attributable to the advise’s $10 minimal wage for successfully-organized companies. The Supreme Court acknowledged in its ruling that the “Legislature didn't intend to recall the sphere of minimal-wage rates,” and for the rationale that metropolis’s price wouldn't prevent employers from complying with the lower advise price, Minneapolis’ ordinance might perhaps perhaps likely also stand. Minneapolis turned into once the main Midwestern metropolis to undertake a $15-per-hour minimal wage, which will likely be phased in progressively except it peaks in 2024.

Usa today Mississippi

Jackson: Belhaven University is rising scholarships to honor one of its graduates who is the creator of bestselling young adult novels. The Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship program will likely be essentially essentially based at the Jackson faculty. Thomas wrote “The Abhor U Give,” about an African American teen who sees a police officer shoot and waste her most productive pal, and “On the Come Up,” about a young rapper who finds her identification and confronts stereotypes through song. One ingenious writing predominant at Belhaven will receive a scholarship to quilt all costs for tuition, room and board for four years, the university acknowledged in a news release Thursday. Other high applicants might perhaps perhaps likely also merely receive smaller awards. Thomas graduated from Belhaven with a bachelor of elegant arts level in 2011. “The Abhor U Give” turned into once revealed in 2017 and turned into once released as a movie in 2018. “On the Come Up” turned into once revealed in 2019, and Thomas is working as a producer of the movie that is in development. The closing date to accept a examine for the scholarship is March 1.

Usa today Missouri

Jefferson Metropolis: Lawmakers are brooding about whether to enable police in all of the advise’s municipalities to reside delivery air the cities the set up they work. A Dwelling invoice within the delivery launched to resolve the residency requirements for officers in St. Louis turned into once expanded Tuesday to consist of all Missouri cities, despite opposition from Kansas Metropolis leaders, The Kansas Metropolis Big title reviews. Many cities at the moment require all legislation enforcement officers to dwell within metropolis limits. St. Louis supports lifting the residency requirements, in phase for the rationale that police division is 100 officers short. In Kansas Metropolis, officers must dwell within the metropolis one one year sooner than starting employment, and civilian workers accept 9 months to stream into the metropolis. Attorney General Eric Schmitt supports lifting residency requirements, contending it would succor recruit and retain officers and succor fight violent crime. The mayor and police chief of St. Louis furthermore make stronger the invoice.

Usa today Montana

Missoula: An oil-drilling rent dispute has persisted in federal court over whether to murder the rent shut to Glacier National Park on land practical sacred by the Blackfeet tribe. The U.S. Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday from lawyers for leaseholder Solenex LLC and EarthJustice, which is representing the Blackfeet Nation and some environmental groups, the Missoulian reported Tuesday. Drilling leases in Badger-Two Treatment accept been a degree of contention for years, court officials acknowledged. The Bureau of Land Administration in 2016 canceled the oil and gasoline leases held by Moncrief Oil and Solenex LLC, drawing a lawsuit from the 2 corporations. A U.S. district court later reinstated the leases. Moncrief reached a settlement with environmental groups, however Solenex is accrued defending its rent, company officials acknowledged.

Usa today Nebraska

Lincoln: The advise’s criminal educated long-established filed a lawsuit Wednesday towards a price that voted to enable machine bets on beforehand bound horse races despite the criminal educated long-established’s warnings that the machines are illegal. The lawsuit alleges that the Nebraska Stammer Racing Commission current so-known as historical horse racing even after advise lawyers urged the associated price that the machines violate advise legislation and the Nebraska Structure’s prohibition of on line casino gambling. The criminal educated long-established’s dwelling of enterprise acknowledged the associated price’s vote amounted to a “unilateral decision to magnify gambling with out action by the Legislature or the residents of Nebraska.” The price voted 3-2 in July to enable the terminals at Fonner Park in Immense Island. Lawmakers accept practical measures to legalize the machines within the previous however rejected them amid arguments that they’re too corresponding to on line casino slots.

Usa today Nevada

Reno: The Silver Stammer will likely be joining Iowa within the utilize of cell apps to have outcomes from thousands of caucus sites, amid heightened worries about election hacking. The choice to utilize the apps turned into once made to lengthen transparency and succor bound the caucuses extra simply, says Shelby Wiltz, director of the Nevada Stammer Democratic Occasion Caucus. Even though the technology is intended to form counting more uncomplicated, it furthermore raises concerns referring to the aptitude for hacking or system defects. Occasion officials philosophize they worked carefully with the Democratic National Committee and security experts whereas deciding on and vetting the app seller that turned into once chosen. They declined to title the seller, citing security causes. Wiltz says the app has been totally tested. Democratic Occasion activists within the 2 states will utilize programs downloaded to their non-public phones to whine the outcomes of caucus gatherings to the advise headquarters. That knowledge will then be outdated to roar the unofficial winners.

Usa today Recent Hampshire

Concord: Sexual assault survivors, folks and other advocates urged lawmakers Thursday to shut a loophole in advise legislation they argue enabled a Concord Excessive College teacher accused of abuse. Primo “Howie” Leung turned into once charged in April with sexually assaulting a pupil off faculty property in Massachusetts in 2015 and 2016. But faculty officials didn't whine him to police after he turned into once viewed kissing a definite pupil in 2018 because advise legislation allows formative years 16 and older to consent to such contact if they're not being coerced. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on a pair of bills filed essentially essentially based on the college district’s going through of Leung, who has pleaded not responsible. But both sponsors, Sen. Martha Hennessey, D-Hanover, and Sen. Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, acknowledged they abet an amendment supplied by the Recent Hampshire Coalition Against Home and Sexual Violence combining parts of their proposed legislation.

Usa today Recent Jersey

Freehold: A ham-handed strive to select organ pipes has left a township church going through intensive damage. The burglary happened in a single day Tuesday at First United Methodist Church of Freehold, essentially essentially based on a post on the church’s Fb page. A uncover to select the successfully-organized decorative pipes induced a crumple that broken the organ, essentially essentially based on the post. An image showed the pipes arrayed adore grab-up sticks. “Right now, we enact not know,” the church’s pastor, the Rev. Wil Wilson, acknowledged of the value of the damage. “Simply taking it a day at a time, however costs will likely be assessed soon.” The post acknowledged: “While the damage is ugly and tense, we thank God that no person turned into once injured and nothing turned into once stolen. ... We is just not going to let this crush our spirits.” Commercial will plug on as smartly-liked. The pastor wrote that Sunday products and companies will likely be held at 10 a.m.

Usa today Recent Mexico

Albuquerque: The advise’s largest university is asking college students to succor with deciding on a brand unusual faculty seal to change one that had sparked protests. The University of Recent Mexico is allowing college students to vote on five alternatives. One has a howling Lobo and the Sandia Mountains within the background. Others accept the names of the college round varied designs. The stream comes after the University of Recent Mexico started taking a look for a brand unusual manufacture for its real seal following protests from Native Individuals over concerns referring to the seal that featured a sword-carrying Spanish conquistador and a rifle-toting frontiersman. The Native American pupil groups Kiva Membership and The Crimson Nation had been pressuring the university to fall the seal. “In expose for you to stream to a college, and there might perhaps be an image of a community of of us who killed your ancestors on the logo, then it can likely also deter you from going there,” pupil Cara Greene urged TV dwelling KRQE.

Usa today Recent York

Recent York: The president of the metropolis’s subways launched his resignation Thursday, two years after being brought in to succor flip all over the beleaguered machine. No reason turned into once given for the sudden departure of Andy Byford, a British govt with abilities in transit programs all over the sector. But there had furthermore been tensions, particularly with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who largely controls the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency that involves the subways that Byford oversaw. In an announcement on his resignation, Byford acknowledged he turned into once “very proud” of what had been accomplished all the highest arrangement through his tenure. Talking briefly at a board meeting Thursday after his resignation modified into public, Byford thanked Cuomo for giving him the choice and gave him credit ranking for the efforts he and the Legislature made in securing capital funds for machine enhancements.

Usa today North Carolina

Hatteras: Greater than 100 sea turtles terrified by recent chilly temperatures accept washed up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the National Park Provider acknowledged. The agency wrote on its Fb page Wednesday that approximately 95 inexperienced and Kemp’s ridley turtles washed ashore Tuesday on the south aspect of Hatteras Island. Of that total, 35 washed up onto the Cape Hatteras National Shoreline, the agency acknowledged. Besides, the park service says one other 10 turtles accept been came all over Wednesday morning on the seaside. The turtles accept been taken to the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island for rehabilitation. Many are anticipated to be released by the tip of the week. The majority of the chilly-terrified turtles accept been came all over from Buxton to Hatteras, and seaside biotechs and multiple volunteer organizations persisted browsing for chilly-terrified turtles Wednesday.

Usa today North Dakota

Bismarck: A entire bunch of electronic gadgets aimed at including perambulate and security at the vote casting polls will likely be disbursed to the advise’s 53 counties within the approaching weeks. The 990 pollbooks change the paper direction of to register voters which might perhaps perhaps likely be outdated in most counties. North Dakota has no voter registration however maintains a central voter file, which is a database of who has voted. “One of many things when it involves election integrity is that after you attain in and point out your ID, that mechanically goes abet into our central voter file, and so within the event you attempted to vote, let’s philosophize, in Minot or force up to Killdeer or one other dwelling, they would know that you voted already,” Secretary of Stammer Al Jaeger acknowledged Monday. The advise’s six or seven greater counties accept been the utilize of the pollbooks already, and by February every county can accept them, the Bismarck Tribune reviews.

Usa today Ohio

Cincinnati: The Cincinnati Zoo is the utilize of the third birthday of its most traditional untimely hippo as a type to resolve money for Australian natural world tormented by the hot bushfires. As any other of sending birthday items, the zoo is asking of us to purchase T-shirts that can straight support the Bushfire Emergency Natural world Fund. The shirt facets a koala and kangaroo giving Fiona a hug and says “Supporting Our Pals Down Underneath.” All proceeds from sales will likely be despatched to Zoos Victoria to succor them esteem the animals which might perhaps perhaps likely be struggling. The zoo will add $5,000 to the total quantity raised. Fiona modified into a world celeb after she turned into once born Jan. 24, 2017, weighing in at staunch 29 pounds. The long-established vary for a hippo’s birth weight is 55 to 120 pounds. Fiona now weighs a wholesome 1,300 pounds, essentially essentially based on the zoo.

Usa today Oklahoma

Oklahoma Metropolis: A extinct zookeeper and one-time candidate for governor turned into once sentenced Wednesday to 22 years in penal advanced for his role in a extinguish-for-rent advise and violating federal natural world criminal guidelines. A federal bid in Oklahoma Metropolis sentenced 56-one year-used Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage – on the total identified as “Joe Distinctive” – for making an strive to put together the killing of a Florida animal sanctuary founder who criticized his medication of animals. The woman, Carole Baskin, wasn’t harmed. Maldonado, who maintained his innocence, furthermore turned into once sentenced for killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying natural world files. A jury convicted him final April. “I accrued withhold my innocence and taking a look forward within the upcoming days to my attorneys submitting my attraction and spirited onto the next stream in this nightmare,” he acknowledged in an announcement posted to his Fb page.

Usa today Oregon

Portland: Colleges raised the statewide high faculty graduation price for the category of 2019 to 80% and a small narrowed racial and financial inequities, essentially essentially based on figures made public early Thursday. The Oregonian/OregonLive reviews the ideally suited beneficial properties accept been among low-earnings college students, whose on-time graduation price rose 2 percentage parts; college students with disabilities, whose price rose 3 percentage parts; and college students who accept been accrued learning English as their second language whereas in high faculty. The on-time graduation price for that third community surged better than 4 percentage parts to 60%. In 2018, the total graduation price turned into once 78.7%. Stammer colleges chief Colt Gill hailed what he known as an “historic” fulfillment. He credited labor in native faculty districts apart from to a half-dozen statewide initiatives for the smartly-liked enchancment and the narrowing of racial and other gaps. Oregon’s graduation price has been practical an embarrassment for loads of years, with it generally ranking within the very bottom tier of states.

Usa today Pennsylvania

Philadelphia: Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty is below investigation for allegedly assaulting a 13-one year-used boy all the highest arrangement through a photo shoot, police acknowledged. Chris Greenwell and his son Brandon met the hairy, googly-eyed mascot at a November match for season tag holders. Brandon patted Gritty on the high after he and his father posed for a photo with him at the Wells Fargo Heart, Greenwell urged The Philadelphia Inquirer. Greenwell acknowledged that as Brandon walked away, Gritty ran out of his chair and “punched my son as tough as he might perhaps perhaps likely also.” Greenwell, who urged the newspaper he only wanted an apology and one thing special for his son, filed a criticism with police Dec. 21. A police spokesperson acknowledged Tuesday that the investigation is “active and ongoing.” Officials at Comcast Spectacor, the corporate that owns the Flyers, acknowledged it performed an investigation however couldn’t confirm whether the alleged assault took dwelling.

Usa today Rhode Island

Providence: Stammer lawmakers are brooding about a invoice that might perhaps perhaps likely ban 3D weapons. The measure would form it illegal for somebody in Rhode Island to fabricate, import, promote, ship, bring, accept, switch or receive any firearm that is made of plastic, fiberglass or through a 3D-printing direction of. The proposal got unanimous approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday evening. The weapons, furthermore known as “ghost weapons,” are especially unhealthy because they'll stream through metal detectors and be bought by of us who wouldn’t otherwise stream background checks, supporters accept argued. Critics of the invoice contend that the ban is needless and that existing criminal guidelines form out undetectable firearms.

Usa today South Carolina

Georgetown: A sheriff’s deputy responding to a burglary name turned into once compelled to settle a beef between his K9 and a spooked cow by the utilize of a stun gun. Georgetown County sheriff’s deputies accept been dispatched to the Aesthetic Hill neighborhood Wednesday when a K9 that turned into once brought to the scene reportedly modified into “distracted” and bit a cow belonging to the property owners, an announcement from the agency acknowledged. The officer turned into once compelled to stun the dogs to forestall the cow from being severely injured, the dwelling of enterprise acknowledged. Reacting to the chunk, the cow charged at the deputy and property proprietor, hitting them and causing minor accidents. After taking inventory of the subject, the deputy positioned the dogs in his cruiser. Now not one of many of us or animals sharp perceived to be severely damage. On the tip of all of it, the sheriff’s dwelling of enterprise sure the new burglary name turned into once false.

Usa today South Dakota

Pierre: Twenty-one advise legislators accept signed on in make stronger of a invoice that might perhaps perhaps likely restrict native governments from banning plastic bags, straws and other products. Eight states accept banned single-utilize plastic bags, and 15 states, including Minnesota and North Dakota, accept adopted criminal guidelines prohibiting authorities entities from banning plastic bags, essentially essentially based on the National Convention of Stammer Legislatures. Republican Sen. John Wiik says he made up our minds to introduce the legislation after working with retailers on the teach and seeing neighboring states strive same legislation. “I staunch idea it turned into once time to stream forward and give the little companies, your mom-and-pop consolation stores and little town companies, a small extra stable footing going into the future,” Wiik says. The seek knowledge from of a ban rose to the ground in Sioux Falls final one year after the flooded Fleshy Sioux River left thousands of plastic bags stuck within the bushes alongside the river banks as the water receded.

Usa today Tennessee

Memphis: The metropolis says it has emergency, non-public garbage crews on standby in case of a “wildcat” work stoppage this weekend. “They are working delivery air of their management. Would possibly perhaps well accrued this stoppage happen, it’s in breach of the memorandum of figuring out with the metropolis and furthermore the ordinance,” metropolis spokesman Dan Springer acknowledged. he acknowledged any worker who participates in an unauthorized work stoppage technically resigns their situation below the metropolis structure. How successfully-organized of a work stoppage is deliberate for Saturday or if it will happen at all is unclear. Any doubtless stoppage might perhaps perhaps likely also prolong trash pickup scheduled for this weekend after being pushed abet for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The head of AFSCME Native 1733, the Memphis sanitation workers union, wrote a letter to Mayor Jim Strickland final week disavowing a deliberate, “unsanctioned” strike.

Usa today Texas

Tomball: A teacher who authorities philosophize brought a handgun to highschool and made threatening comments about colleagues has been arrested. Observe Davis, a historical previous and geography teacher at Concordia Lutheran Excessive College, turned into once arrested Wednesday. Tomball police philosophize he’s charged with possessing a weapon in a prohibited dwelling and threatening to repeat or utilize a firearm at a college. Per a criminal criticism, a teacher who encountered Davis, 62, on Tuesday in a first-ground long-established dwelling at the non-public faculty acknowledged he “perceived to be extra enraged than smartly-liked.” Davis urged the teacher he felt the important gave one other faculty a horrible reference referring to his time at Concordia, and he complained the college’s baseball coach hadn’t picked him for an assistant instructing situation. The teacher urged police Davis acknowledged he would purchase an automatic rifle and had a handgun upstairs, essentially essentially based on the criticism, and he urged faculty officials he brought it to campus to “give protection to the formative years.”

Usa today Utah

Salt Lake Metropolis: A contentious advise tax overhaul will likely be repealed amid rising voter backlash to the thought that might perhaps perhaps likely raise taxes on meals and groceries whereas lowering earnings tax, Republican legislative leaders acknowledged Thursday. The repeal turned into once launched after an effort to teach it through a citizen referendum perceived to accept succeeded in getting a dwelling on the November ballot, the Deseret Info reviews. Gov. Gary Herbert urged newshounds all the highest arrangement through his long-established month-to-month news convention on PBS Utah that an overhaul is accrued wished, however lawmakers will likely wait to select within the teach except next one year. The legislative session begins Monday. “I feel we’re accommodating the will of the of us,” Herbert acknowledged referring to the repeal. “The indisputable truth that we accept pushback means we haven't accomplished our job as some distance as convincing the of us here is the steady thing to enact or the steady technique to enact it.”

Usa today Vermont

Montpelier: The advise is taking a look to award $2 million to succor impress fleet car charging stations alongside motorway corridors. The advise is asking for proposals for a third round of grant funding to form Divulge Most modern Rapid Charging stations at eleven priority locations alongside Vermont’s predominant arteries. As of final October, there accept been better than 3,500 electric vehicles registered with the Division of Motor Vehicles, up 154% since 2016. The third round of funding will form definite charging stations come in alongside interstate and other priority motorway corridors corresponding to interstates 89 and 91, U.S. Route 4 and Vermont Route 100. “Electric car owners on the total value at home, however elevated availability and perambulate of public charging are serious to advancing transportation electrification in Vermont,” acknowledged David Roberts, the Force Electric Vermont coordinator.

Usa today Virginia

Richmond: An match practical the sector’s main global competitors for young violinists will characteristic a Virginia competitor when it involves the metropolis this spring. The Menuhin Competition Richmond 2020 on Wednesday launched the 44 competitors who had been chosen from a pool of 321 applicants for the Would possibly perhaps well match. The Menuhin Competition, which is held every two years in a definite dwelling, is identified as “Olympics of the Violin.” The competitors whine 16 countries of dwelling all over North and South The United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, and 13 U.S. states, essentially essentially based on a press release from match organizers. Kayleigh Kim, a 15-one year-used from northern Virginia, will compete within the junior level of the competitors, for ages 15 and below. The senior level facets musicians 21 and below. The match turned into once essentially based in 1983 by violinist Yehudi Menuhin, one of many sizable musical abilities of the 20th century.

Usa today Washington

Olympia: Heart and high faculty college students joined directors, folks and doctors Wednesday in urging a advise Senate committee to stream extreme restrictions on nicotine vaping products, decrying how a few of their peers leave class to vape within the bathroom or even utilize the products all the highest arrangement through class by exhaling into their sleeve. Washington adopted a transient ban on flavored e-cigarette juice in October as the nation grappled with a mysterious, once at the moment deadly lung sickness that seemed linked to vaping. Since then, the U.S. Amenities for Illness Withhold an eye on has acknowledged the outbreak appears to be like to accept been linked largely to vitamin E acetate in vaping products containing THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis. The invoice practical by the Senate Well being and Lengthy Term Care Committee on Wednesday would form the flavour ban everlasting, whereas furthermore limiting the nicotine snarl and size of each vaping juice cartridge.

Usa today West Virginia

Charleston: The advise’s public colleges superintendent needs the advise Board of Training to not lessen the necessity of social reviews programs required for prime faculty graduation. Superintendent Steve Paine acknowledged in an announcement that he will form the advice in step with an amazing response to the proposal. Last month the Board of Training positioned the total high faculty credits proposal up for public comment through Jan. 24. It might perhaps perhaps perhaps likely lower abet the necessity of required social reviews programs in prefer of alternative programs corresponding to occupation technical schooling and computer science. Within the intervening time, a brand unusual class on cooking, cleansing and budgeting will likely be coming to varsities below a invoice passed Thursday by the Senate. Lawmakers voted 33-0 to approve the proposal to accept the advise schooling board attain up with a home economics direction that might perhaps perhaps likely furthermore consist of practising on sewing, minor home repair and time administration.

Usa today Wisconsin

Milwaukee: The Milwaukee Brewers home ballpark can accept a brand unusual title next one year after a 20-one year take care of Miller involves an spoil. American Family Insurance coverage launched this week that Miller Park will turn into American Family Arena next Jan. 1. A unusual logo and other branding parts will likely be revealed later this one year. The Brewers a one year ago launched the 15-one year naming rights take care of American Family, however the title of the ballpark turned into once not identified except now. No phrases of the settlement accept been launched. The take care of Miller turned into once value $40 million. The brewing company, now MillerCoors, showed small or no proper interest in extending the naming rights. The insurance coverage company furthermore has the naming rights to the main amphitheater at Summerfest, the song festival alongside Milwaukee’s lakefront.

Usa today Wyoming

Cody: Sound asleep Big Ski Blueprint in northwest Wyoming is suspending wintry climate operations after this season attributable to monetary complications. Amy Woods, supervisor of the Yellowstone Recreations Basis, launched the board of directors’ decision this week, asserting that “the necessity of skiers and snowboarders we at the moment entice would not form wintry climate operations financially doubtless as we bound a deficit of over $200,000 per one year.” She acknowledged the choice is “agonizing however predominant.” The Cody Mission reviews the zipline might perhaps perhaps likely well not be affected and can accept to delivery working but again within the summer. In 2007, a dwelling of us launched a idea to develop Sound asleep Big, which had shuttered three years earlier. The Yellowstone Recreations Basis turned into once established to reopen the ski dwelling.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reviews

Read or Fraction this myth: https://www.usatoday.com/myth/news/50-states/2020/01/24/colleges-alice-cooper-muhammad-alis-gym-goldblum-vs-plastic-news-round-states/41053459/

[sciencespies]

NASA Selects Dozen U.S. Companies For Moon To Mars Partnerships

https://sciencespies.com/news/nasa-selects-dozen-u-s-companies-for-moon-to-mars-partnerships/

NASA Selects Dozen U.S. Companies For Moon To Mars Partnerships

Artist’s concept of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule prepared for launch.

Credit: NASA

Today, NASA announced it has selected 12 U.S. commercial companies for 19 partnerships in its crewed Moon to Mars efforts, which kicks off with a planned 2024 Artemis program crewed return to the lunar surface.

The selections entail six key areas for future development as well as a category for other exploration technologies. They are: advanced communications, navigation and avionics; entry, descent and landing; in-space manufacturing and assembly; advanced materials; power; and propulsion.

“We’ve identified technology areas NASA needs for future missions, and these public-private partnerships will accelerate their development so we can implement them faster,” Jim Reuter, associate administrator of NASA’s space technology mission directorate, said in a statement.

The selected companies include:

Elon Musk’s SpaceX which NASA says will work with the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to advance technology to vertically land large rockets on the Moon; including advancing models to assess engine plume interaction with lunar regolith. SpaceX will also work with NASA on advancing tech needed to transfer propellant in orbit, which the space agency says is an important step in the development of the company’s Starship space vehicle.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will collaborate with NASA on advanced navigation and guidance systems to enable safe, precise landings on the Moon, says the agency. And NASA says the company will also partner with them on advancing a fuel cell power system for the company’s Blue Moon lander. The system, says NASA, could provide uninterrupted power during the lunar night, which lasts for about two weeks in most locations.

Advanced Space of Boulder, Colo., will partner with NASA on advancing a navigation system between Earth and the Moon that could supplement NASA’s deep space network and support future exploration missions, says the agency.

Spirit Aerosystem, Inc. of Wichita, Kan., will partner with NASA on improving the durability of low-cost reusable rockets manufactured using friction stir welding, says the agency. This welding method which is already being used for NASA’s Space Launch System allows for stronger, more defect-free seals.

Maxar Technologies of Palo Alto, Calif., will work NASA to build a breadboard – a base for prototyping electronics – for a deployable, semi-rigid radio antenna, says NASA. In-orbit assembly of large structures like antennas will enhance the performance of assets in space, says the agency.

And Lockheed Martin will partner with Kennedy Space Center to test technologies and operations for autonomous in-space plant growth systems, says NASA. The idea is that integrating robotics with plant growing systems could help NASA harvest plants on future platforms in deep space.

Illustration of a human landing system and crew on the lunar surface with Earth near the horizon.

Credit: NASA

All of this work is aimed at returning NASA to the moon using robotic and crewed vehicles.

Artemis 1, an uncrewed flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion (crew vehicle) together, is scheduled for 2020, says NASA, while Artemis 2, the first flight with crew, is targeted for launch in 2022.

NASA says it plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024 on the Artemis 3 mission and about once a year thereafter. The goal of these missions will be in part to learn how to live and operate on the surface of another celestial body, says the agency. There, only three days from home, it will be easier to prove the technologies needed before sending astronauts on missions to Mars, says NASA, which can take up to three years roundtrip.

The aim is to begin crewed Mars missions by the 2030s.

#News

[channelnewswire-blog]

Leading Stories 2018: Navy Acquisition - USNI News

USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2018. This story is part of USNI News year-end series.

F-35C Joint Strike Fighter

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 sits chained on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on Dec. 9, 2018. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s F-35C had an important year, with the fighter seeing its first integrated air wing operations and the first operational F-35C squadron being given a safe-for-flight certification that should pave the way for an initial operational capability (IOC) declaration in the next two months.

In August, Carrier Air Wing 7 swapped out a Super Hornet squadron for a squadron’s worth of F-35Cs and conducted cyclical flight deck operations, launching and recovering F-35Cs alongside F/A-18E-F Super Hornets, E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes, EA-18G Growlers and C-2A Greyhounds for the first time.

The planes came from the “Rough Riders” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 and the “Argonauts” of VFA-147 – an F-35C fleet replacement squadron and operational squadron, respectively, out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. – and proved they could be not only launched and recovered but also maintained and sustained at sea.

During the same at-sea period aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), sequel were filming background footage on the carrier for the movie, almost certainly assuring the F-35C at least a passing appearance in the movie.

Also during the at-sea period, an F-35C from VFA-125 was damaged during an aerial refueling with an F/A-18F, though both aircraft returned to Lincoln safely and no one was injured.

Though the Navy had previously hoped to reach IOC by the end of 2018, the Navy stood up a Joint Strike Fighter Wing on Oct. 1 to oversee the growing F-35C fleet, and leadership said they were confident in a February 2019 target for IOC.

A major F-35 contract was agreed to between the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin in September that would cover all three variants for the U.S. and international partners in a Lot 11 buy. A second contract action to keep Lots 12 through 14 moving forward during negotiations was issued in November. Also at the program-wide level, “formal Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) to measure the effectiveness, suitability, lethality, survivability and overall mission capability of the F-35 weapons system” began in early December ahead of the Pentagon’s decision to approve Milestone C and move into full-rate production.

Tests of Boeing’s MQ-25A Stingray prototype in St. Louis. Boeing Image

Elsewhere in the Navy aviation portfolio, the Navy selected Boeing to build its MQ-25A Stingray unmanned carrier-based tanker. Boeing beat out Lockheed Martin and General Atomics to win the $805-million contract to build the first four vehicles, which are expected to be flying by 2021 and reach IOC by 2024.

As the Navy looks to replace its 27 legacy C-2A Greyhounds with 38 of the Navy-variant CMV-22B Osprey, the service accelerated the transition schedule in 2018. In January, the service said in an environmental impact statement that the transition would begin in 2020 and should end by 2026, with the full fielding of the new V-22s coming in 2028. In October the Navy elaborated in a congressional hearing that the first planes would deliver in 2020 and deploy in 2021 thanks for a compressed testing schedule.

The Navy bought its CMV-22Bs in a June contract with Bell-Boeing that also covered aircraft for the Marine Corps, Air Force and Japan.

The Navy wrapped up the year with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson setting an aggressive timeline for four new surface ship classes, highlighting the upcoming need for new surface combatants but the ongoing uncertainty about how to fill that need.

In the short term, the Navy this year picked five contenders for its guided-missile frigate program that will supplement the Littoral Combat Ship. The February contract award kicked off conceptual design work that will lead to bids being placed in 2019 and a downselect and construction contract award in 2020. LCS builders Austal USA and Lockheed Martin, along with General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Fincantieri Marine and Huntington Ingalls Industries, were each awarded $15 million contracts for the design work. In July, the Navy released more money to each of these companies to further mature their designs.

Beyond plans for the frigate, though, the future of the surface fleet is still very much in flux. The Navy has a Future Surface Combatant family of systems planned that will include a large combatant to replace cruisers and destroyers, a small combatant to replace the LCS and frigate, and two sizes of unmanned or optionally manned combatants. Though the Navy has said the large combatant would leverage key technology investments from the Zumwalt-class destroyer and would use the DDG-51 Flight III combat system that pairs the Aegis weapon system and AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR), little else has been announced. More information is expected in January.

Artists rendering of the first planned Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyer, Jack H. Lucas. HII Photo

On the current Arleigh Burke-class production line, the Navy in February released a request for proposals for a five-year contract for up to 15 DDGs. In September, the service awarded six ships to Ingalls Shipbuilding and four to General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW), as the baseline two-a-year DDG production rate the Navy originally wanted. The contract included options for as many as five more ships, to accelerate the program to help reach 355 ships faster. Though Congress did not give the Navy money for a third ship in Fiscal Year 2018, in December the Navy awarded an option for a third FY 2019 ship to BIW.

In another move meant to help accelerate the build-up to 355 ships, the Navy stated in April that it would extend the life of the entire Arleigh Burke class to 45 years, keeping the ships around longer for a minimal investment in an additional maintenance availability later in the hulls’ service lives.

On the Zumwalt program, the future Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) had an eventful year: after the ship completed its acceptance trials in February – its second attempt, after the first go at acceptance trials in December 2017 was halted due to a failure in the Integrated Power System – and was partially delivered to the Navy in April, the Navy later acknowledged that the ship couldn’t actually depart the shipyard yet for its future homeport of San Diego because a main turbine engine blade had been damaged during sea trials. The Navy and BIW spent several months swapping out the entire engine, before Monsoor was able to depart the Maine shipyard in November and arrive in San Diego in December.

Following the multi-day process that includes moving the ship from the land level facility to the dry dock which is then slowly flooded until the ship is afloat, the future USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) was launched at General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works shipyard on Dec. 9, 2018. US Navy photo courtesy Bath Iron Works

The third and final ship of the class, the future Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), launched from its drydock at BIW and was put into the water.

The Navy will continue to buy three LCSs a year through 2019, ahead of the move to the frigate in 2020, to address congressional concerns about the industrial base, despite the Navy’s wish to just buy one in 2019.

On the Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program, a flood at a General Dynamics NASSCO graving dock damaged the under-construction Miguel Keith (T-ESB-5) and set its construction and delivery back by at least six months.

John F. Kennedy CVN 78 lower bow lift. HII Photo

In March, the Navy officially asked Newport News Shipbuilding for more information on the cost and schedule savings associated with buying CVN-80 and 81 together in a single contract. The deal would be the first time since the Reagan Administration that two carriers were bought together. Newport News said it could save $1.6 billion due to workforce stability, engineering and planning both ships at once instead of through separate processes a few years apart, and economic order quantity savings in the supply chain. The Navy originally said it could save $2.5 billion overall – through the savings at Newport News and on the government-furnished equipment side – and now believes it can save even more than that. The Pentagon gave the Navy approval to execute a two-carrier contract in late December and Congress is reviewing the proposal.

The Navy’s newest in-service carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), completed its shakedown period of at-sea testing and training in July and returned to Newport News Shipbuilding for a yearlong post-shakedown availability (PSA). The second Ford-class carrier, the future John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), is more than halfway complete and should launch by the end of 2019.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) transits the Elizabeth River during the ship’s transit to Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va. in 2017. US Navy Photo

On the older end of the carrier fleet, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) saw challenges during an availability at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and its planned six-month availability may triple in length or more. In November the ship announced it could move from the public yard back to Naval Station Norfolk to finish up the repair and maintenance work there, getting out of the way of the next carrier that needs maintenance and allowing Ike’s crew to do their work from their normal homeport instead of traveling across town to the Portsmouth, Va., repair yard.

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $165.5 million contract to provide long-lead-time material and advance construction activities for LPD 30, the first Flight II LPD. HII rendering

2018 showed that the Navy was taking its amphibious warship fleet seriously, with several moves that will bring new capability to a fleet that is struggling to keep up with the Marine Corps’ needs.

In January, the Navy determined that its LPD-30 San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock – the 14th in the class – would be the first to officially make the move to what had been known as the LX(R) program to replace Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships. The LPD program had continued to grow, as Congress paid for more and more “bridge ships” to keep the LPD production line going until an LX(R) solution was decided on. With the 14th being dubbed the first of the new LX(R) program, the Navy then announced three months later that LX(R) would formally be called LPD Flight II. With the bridge ships already bearing the brunt of the changes between the original San Antonio class and the envisioned LX(R), the differences between the last Flight I ship, LPD-29, and LPD-30 will be minimal. The move also ensures that the LSD-41/49 ships will be replaced by a much more sophisticated platform.

Conversations on Capitol Hill quickly moved to how fast the Navy could buy these ships and if they could be upgunned to include vertical launch systems or other weapons.

Looking farther down the road, an Amphibious Warship Evolution Plan is in the works within the Navy’s expeditionary warfare community. Led by Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Coffman (OPNAV N95), the effort would seek to boost the San Antonio-class LPDs into a middleweight fighter more like a destroyer, upgrading the command and control and communications systems on the large-deck amphibious assault ships to better leverage the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and other new sources of data in high-end warfare, and increase the number and the readiness of amphibs in the fleet.

In October, Ingalls Shipbuilding (LHA-8), the third of the new America-class LHAs and the first that will reintroduce a well deck back into the design to support surface connector operations.

The National Ensign flies from the bridge of Pre-Commissioning Unit Indiana (SSN-789) as the submarine sails into port in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Indiana is the 16th Virginia-class fast attack submarine and is scheduled to be commissioned on Sept. 29, 2018. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s top acquisition priority, the Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine (SSBN), appears to be still on track for a planned maiden deployment in 2031 despite a manufacturing delay this year. In August, the Navy acknowledged that some of the welds on BWX Technologies-made missile tubes were not properly done and would have to be re-welded. In November, the Navy said that rework would cost $27 million and take a year. Though the program overall has no schedule margin left, the missile tubes themselves had 23 months of margin built into their schedule and redoing the welding work and inspections would eat up about 10 months of that margin. CNO Richardson told USNI News he still believes the program can buy back some schedule despite previous delays, and could even deploy the first hull before 2031.

Despite ongoing work by the House and Senate armed services committees to create a fund to pay for the Columbia class and allowed shared parts-buying with the Virginia- and Ford-class programs, the Navy still hadn’t received permission from the Pentagon to buy the SSBNs through that fund and outside of the shipbuilding account. If the boomers are paid for with the shipbuilding account, there is a fear that other programs, like destroyers and amphibious ships, may suffer due to lack of sufficient funding. Paying for the Columbia class outside the shipbuilding account would ease some pressure on the rest of that budget account.

On the Virginia-class attack submarine, in March the Navy awarded lead builder General Dynamics Electric Boat a long-lead materials contract for Block V boats, which will be procured from FY 2019 through 2023.

Planning for a future SSN(X), which would come after Block VII Virginia-class hulls, took a turn in focus towards anti-Russian sub and ship capabilities, with the Navy putting more emphasis on torpedo tubes than vertical launch cells for land-attack missiles.

In a demonstration in front of an international audience, the Navy used a Harpoon missile to sink a surface ship for the first time in more than 20 years during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2018 exercise. Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Submarine Force Rear Adm. Daryl Caudle said he expects that the cruise missile will be added back into the SSN’s regular armament after the successful demonstration, and the Program Executive Office for Submarines agreed they were looking for additional weapons to put on attack subs beyond just the Mk 48 torpedo and the Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile the SSNs have carried in recent years.

Either submarines or surface ships could be the beneficiary of Navy investments in a conventional prompt global strike hypersonic weapon that could hit any location on the planet within an hour. The Navy is now developing the glide body that all services would use for their prompt global strike capabilities, and the Navy would also develop a booster to launch the weapon from its eventual platform of choice – which had previously been discussed as being the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine but now is open to potentially another submarine or surface ship.

The LCS program demonstrated its surface-to-surface missile module (SSMM) in May, when USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) fired four AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles that successfully struck fast inshore attack craft (FIAC) targets during SSMM developmental testing. To go after longer-range threats, the Navy announced a few weeks later it had selected the Naval Strike Missile to serve as an over-the-horizon anti-ship missile and would award Raytheon a $14.8-million contract for the first round of missiles.

The Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 anti-air missile proved out its new active guidance seeker-head in a July test event, intercepting a BQM-74E aerial target. Raytheon was awarded a $77-million contract on May 18 to begin the transition from ESSM Block 2 engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) into low-rate manufacturing, fabricating and production.