TRACK SPACE MISSIONS

“From Iran's perspective, they feel emboldened. This war that started with a call to replace the regime, well, one Khamenei was replaced by another Khamenei. So the regime is still there. It is proven that it can withstand the most powerful army in the world and the most powerful army in the region, Israel. And it discovered the Strait Of Hormuz and what havoc it can wreak, not only on The Gulf, but on the entire globe.”

“Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon aimed at disarming the Iranian backed Hezbollah militants, making the announcement Thursday amid disagreement over whether the Iran ceasefire includes Lebanon. British prime minister Keir Starmer describing the ceasefire as fragile and has criticized Israel's strikes on Lebanon.”

“The prime minister also drew parallels between Russian president Vladimir Putin and president Trump, saying he was fed up with the fact that British families would see their energy bills rise because of, quote, the actions of Putin or Trump across the world. Before this latest surge in prices from The US and Israel's war in Iran, the Russian president's invasion of Ukraine had already pushed up energy prices.”

“While talking to reporters from space, astronaut Victor Glover said he'd been thinking about the return to Earth ever since he was assigned to this mission a few years ago. We have to get back. There's so much data that you've seen already, but all the good stuff is coming back with us. There's so many more pictures, so many more stories. And riding a fireball through the atmosphere is as profound as well.”

“Fans in LA went from ecstatic to heartbroken when they logged on to buy Olympics tickets and saw prices in the hundreds and thousands of dollars. Seats at the games start at $28, but go as high as 5,500, including a whopping 24% service fee on each ticket. And the cheap seats sold out fast. Denny Nivens has been to eight summer games and said he's never seen price tags so high.”

“Vice president JD Vance is expected to arrive in Islamabad today at the head of a US delegation, which includes president Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff. They are to hold talks tomorrow seeking to shore up a cease fire, shaky over Israel and Hezbollah exchanging fire and Iran's choke hold over this trade of Hormuz.”

“A staff wide email from the White House management office put Trump officials on notice over prediction market sites like Koushi and Polymarket. It said it's a criminal offense to use nonpublic information to make money on betting markets about federal policy, military strikes, and war. It comes as a number of suspiciously well timed bets have raised alarms, including 6 figure poly market bets on a ceasefire.”

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. Melania Trump also denied that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump and said she is not one of Epstein's victims. She urged congress to hold public hearings for them.”

“The Artemis two astronauts are preparing for a return to Earth this evening. The three Americans and one Canadian are now under 150,000 miles from home after setting a new distance record during Monday's lunar flyby. They're aiming for splashdown in the Pacific off the coast of San Diego.”

“Hotter temperatures means less sea ice. And for emperor penguins, which rely on sea ice for breeding in his places to rest, it means fewer penguins are surviving. Twice in recent years, the ice has broken up early, causing thousands of chicks to drown in the frigid water. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says emperor penguins are now considered to be endangered.”

“The Americans are led by vice president, JD Vance, and the Iranians by the parliament speaker, Mohammad Baher Ghalibaf. The negotiations are based on a 10 Iranian plan that includes an end to attacks and sanctions on the country. Analysts warn negotiations will take time, and it's unlikely one meeting will resolve this conflict.”

“A sharp spike in gasoline prices during the war triggered a surge of inflation last month. Consumer prices in March were up 3.3% from a year ago. That's the biggest annual increase in twenty two months. Stripping out volatile energy and food prices, core inflation was 2.6%, high enough to make the Federal Reserve cautious about additional cuts to interest rates.”

“57 of 77 forest service labs nationwide are on a list to shutter. Scientists at these labs study everything from pollinators to wildfires. The agency said this week the closures don't mean an end to research. It's just relocating small teams to other spaces.”

“The four Artemis two astronauts are now heading in get to medical evaluations, this after a ten day journey to the far side of the moon. The spacecraft had a near perfect return to Earth Friday evening, landing in the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of San Diego, and then the astronauts were imported into a ship.”

“The Southern California Music Festival, which has been running for more than twenty five years, is one of the hottest tickets of the festival season. And the Colombian star, Carol G, will make history on Sunday night as the first Latina to ever headline the festival.”

“He's got a big thing. I will find out what's going on. They're militarily defeated, and now, we're gonna open up the Gulf with them with or without them, but that'll be open. We're gonna be, or the straight as they call it. And I think it's gonna go pretty quickly. And if it doesn't, we'll be able to finish it off one way or the other.”

“Hugs, tears, and plenty of cheers at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. Hundreds of families from all over Southern California witnessed the Artemis two crew return to Earth safely. Diego Chaparro drove from Los Angeles. He says it was important for his children to witness history.”

“The submitted plans from the Harrison Design Firm show structure very similar to the model that Trump showed off at a fundraising dinner at the White House last October. The proposed arch bears a striking resemblance to the Arc De Triomphe in Paris and is topped with two eagles and a winged crowned figure reminiscent of the Statue Of Liberty.”

“The San Francisco Chronicle first reported the allegations from a former staff member who said Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice when she was too intoxicated to give consent. Swalwell is a leading candidate in the June 2 primary for governor. In a statement, he called the allegations false, but some of his top supporters, including California senator Adam Schiff and congressman Jimmy Gomez, are dropping their endorsements.”

“The FAA says anti drone lasers can now be used along The US Southern border. Earlier this year, the agency shut down airspace in parts of Texas after the Pentagon deployed the systems. Now the FAA and the Pentagon have signed an agreement outlining safety precautions for their use.”

“This mission has been historic and has demonstrated new capabilities for Orion spacecraft, has taken our crew farther than any crews have ever gone to the moon and packed safely. 252,756 miles, and that is a fantastic feat. We got a lot more to do.”

“Negotiators from The US and Iran are in Pakistan for talks this weekend that are expected to start on Saturday, but news reports from Iran say the talks will not begin if Israel does not stop its attacks on Lebanon. Israel increased those attacks on Friday, killing at least 13 Lebanese security people in an airstrike in Southern Lebanon.”

“The FAA and the Pentagon say they've completed a thorough safety assessment of a high energy counter drone laser system and that these systems do not pose, quote, undue risk to passenger aircraft, unquote. But the FAA was not sure about that back in February.”

“Police in San Francisco say they've made an arrest following a Molotov cocktail attack early Friday on the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Officials say the attack set an exterior fence on fire, but there were no injuries.”

“The percentage of black players on Major League Baseball team rosters this year is 6.8%. That's according to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. That's the first time in at least twenty years that number has gone up two years in a row.”