Swift Space 'Scope Now Predicted To Burn Up -- In Earth's Atmosphere -- In One To Two Months' Time...

NASA tonight provided a new estimate, for the remaining time that Swift might be operable.

That comes in at one to two months more, at the outside. It was a very game effort, on a very tight time-frame, to try to lift the aging Swift space 'scope -- to a higher orbit, but in the end this mostly proves that. . . space is hard -- and unforgiving. Guidance systems were not 4x4 on the Link craft, so it repeatedly displayed a tumbling motion. That won't do, at all -- for grappling operations in zero-G. Here is likely the last update -- on the Katalyst Link craft itself, from NASA, then:

. . .NASA predictions had shown the shift to low-drag operations had extended Swift’s time above 185 miles (300 kilometers) until October. Below this point, operating the telescope becomes difficult, and the spacecraft’s rate of descent quickly increases.

With the resumption of science observations, the team anticipates Swift will reach that milestone sometime in the next one to two months. . . .

Now you know -- with only about eight days left, until Nice, France (and Florence and Rome -- and maybe Paris, on the tail-end) for a month. Smile.

नमस्ते

The GOP Gov. In Wyoming Bristles At Trump/MAGA Primary Election Interference, In Cheyenne. This Is... Banana Republic Stuff.

I am tempted to say. . . when you elect an inept mobster, this is the natural consequence. But GOP Gov. Gordon is right: this is both lawless -- and Un-American.

Sure, Tangerine may have backed another primary candidate -- but sending a DoJ goon squad in, to pester voters. . . is simply well beyond the pale. Here's The New York Times' version of it all:

. . .Two election monitors from the Justice Department tried to interview voters and examine voting machines at polling places during Wyoming’s primaries last week, local officials said, drawing pushback from the state’s Republican governor.

The federal election monitors arrived at a polling site in Cheyenne, Wyoming’s capital and its largest city, without advance notice around 7 a.m. last Tuesday, said the Laramie County clerk, Debra Lee. They asked to interview voters and inspect the machines, but were denied, officials said.

“It was aggressive, unexpected, disruptive — certainly didn’t seem to show respect for the state,” Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming said in an interview on Thursday. “We’re going to get to the bottom of it as best we can.”

The Justice Department often monitors polling sites during elections. [Ed. Note: Based on three decades of my own in-person, in-polling-place experience -- across both red and blue states and cities (at least five national election cycles) -- almost always, the DoJ people sit silently, and try to be as unobtrusive as humanly possible. Not these jamokes, though last week -- in Cheyenne.]

But the visits to Wyoming came amid President Trump’s ongoing fixation with finding evidence of fraud and vote tampering. Mr. Trump and his allies made fantastical claims that voting machines had switched votes for him to his opponent Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020, and he has tried and failed to find evidence of widespread fraud or vote tampering ever since. . . .

What an entirely abberant time in America, indeed. We are led by. . . a straight-up felonious crook. Out.

नमस्ते

Meanwhile, Down In Del Rio, Texas... Collusive Trump Forces, And Gov. Abbott Forces Move USDC Judge Alia Moses To Seal Discovery, That Might Aid Maimed And Dead Victims Of The Razor Wire.

This simply cannot stand.

Limited redactions, sure -- but not entirely sealed discovery. The reason this suit hasn't been (collusively) closed, thus far is because dozens of individual humans were maimed (on land, and in the water) -- and in the case of the floating razor wire barriers, at least two people. . . perished, in the frigid Rio Grande waters of January 2022.

We, the people are entitled to know what Abbott did, either at Trump's bidding, or on his own -- as a lawless autocrat. . . that got these people killed and injured.

So, either the press, or the ACLU (or yours truly, if need be) will move the able USDC Judge not to hide this clear evidence of malevolence from "we, the people". That is well settled black letter federal law. These are. . . our courts, not Abbott's. And, NOT Trump's. Here's the poorly argued (and likely collusive) joint federal / Texas state motion to close it up:

. . .Pursuant to Rule 26(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule CV-26 of the Local Rules of the Western District of Texas, the parties jointly move this Court for entry of the attached Stipulation and Proposed Order Regarding Discovery Procedures and Confidential Information to govern the use and disposition of information and documents produced in discovery in this action. The parties anticipate that the discovery to be sought will include requests for information and documents of a confidential nature, including information protected by federal privacy laws, information that is law enforcement sensitive, and personally identifying information of non-parties to this action. The parties therefore stipulate and agree to entry of the attached Stipulation and Proposed Order Regarding Discovery Procedures and Confidential Information. . . .

I'll wait a tick, to see if this fails -- if it does not, I will intercede. Onward.

नमस्ते

Once Again, ICE Agents Are Caught Lying Under Oath In Chicago's Federal District Court... Detainee Set Free By Righteous USDC Judge Cummings, After Almost A Year.

The ICE agents claimed (falsely, it turns out) that they had a warrant in open court, but never produced it. It very likely was all just a lie -- encouraged by the now disgraced and departed Greg Bovino. [See at right, from Fall of last year.]

In any event, this married family man (here on papers, but detained) will be back home -- with his family, by Labor Day. But he was lawlessly detained for over a year. These people are. . . deplorable. I will link the order, but not name the detained man here, for safety's sake. Here's that:

. . .It is also apparent that the I-200 referenced in CCP’s I-213 is not the I-200 that defendants produced. The I-213 states that officers ran a records check on CCP after they identified him at the ICE office on October 10; discovered that he had an order of removal; an I200 warrant was issued by SDDO (Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer) Waldschmidt on scene; and that CCP was arrested pursuant to this warrant and his order of removal. The I200, by contrast, is dated October 9, 2025; was signed by SDDO T. Janowski; and was served on CCP on October 9, 2025. Although the Court pointed out these issues concerning the I-200s during the August 18 hearing and sought an answer to the question of how CCP would have been served with an I-200 arrest warrant on October 9 when he was not arrested until October 10 (Dckt. #502 at 6-7), defense counsel’s supplemental response did not provide an answer. Nor did defendants produce the I-200 purportedly issued by SDDO Waldschmidt, and the Court finds that the failure to produce this warrant is evidence that it does not exist. Castanon Nava, 806 F.Supp.3d at 856 (citing cases).

Given the unreliability of the I-213 and the Court’s inference that the I-200 warrant purportedly issued by SDDO Waldschmidt does not exist, the Court finds that CCP was subjected to a warrantless arrest on October 10, 2025.

The Court further finds that defendants lacked probable cause that CCP was a risk to flee before a warrant could be obtained given the abundant evidence known by ICE that he was not a flight risk. In particular, the I-213 reflects that CCP is married with a wife and child in the U.S; he is employed; he has no felony convictions; and that he voluntarily appeared at the ICE office for his check-in appointment. For these reasons, the Court finds that plaintiffs have proven by a preponderance of the evidence that ICE officers subjected CCP to a warrantless arrest without probable cause that he posed a risk of escape before a warrant could be obtained.

Accordingly, CCP is entitled to relief under the Consent Decree, and he shall be released without bond and without conditions no later than the close of business on Friday, August 28, 2026. Defendants shall certify their compliance with the terms of this Order by Tuesday, September 1, 2026. . . .

Now you know -- onward, resolutely. We must lawfully resist (in the courts) lawless thuggery and tyranny, from MAGA arms of federal enforcers. Period.

नमस्ते

The Mediation Efforts, In A Multi-Billion Dollar Name Spat Suit -- Merck v. Merck -- Continue... Even As A Federal Lanham Act Trial Date Nears.

This is -- by now -- old hat: the spat dates back to the end of WWI. And this suit is over a decade old.

There are or were dozens of similar suits dotting the globe. Hopefully, a global mediated settlement will be reached:

. . .Re: Merck & Co., Inc., et al. v. Merck KGaA, Civil Action No. 16-266 (ES/MAH)

Dear Judge Hammer:

This firm, along with Sidley Austin LLP, represents Plaintiffs Merck & Co., Inc. and Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. in the above-referenced matter. We write on behalf of all parties to follow up on our joint letter regarding a mediation date pursuant to the Court’s March 9, 2026 Order (ECF Nos. 322, 326).

We have a mediation scheduled with Judge Hochberg on September 16-18, 2026. As appropriate, an additional mediation day may occur on October 27, 2026.

We thank the Court for its consideration.

Respectfully submitted. . . .

So it goes -- it would certainly make sense for both sides to settle rather than run multi-billion dollar exposures, on their respective trademarks / intellectual property. But I've been saying that for over a decade. Maybe they are finally really listening, as trial nears. Onward, smiling.

नमस्ते

[U] And Yet Again, Oh Manchurian Cantaloupe, You Cannot Morph The US Post Office... Into Your Private Election Goon-Squad. Damn.

Once again -- for at least the fifth time, across Tangerine 1.0 and 2.0, Baby-T has been TRO-ed or enjoined, from using the US Post Office as a means of political intimidation. [The legacy graphic at right is from Tangerine 1.0, as old DeJoy tried some similar lawlessness -- and was thwarted by a WA State federal court. I won't bother to make a new graphic -- Trump's lawlessness here is simply. . . obvious -- again. And now a Boston federal court has said so, again -- after a DC one did a month ago.]

Here is the very well-reasoned ruling. It will be affirmed as the law of the land, but not until after Novemebr will it reach the Supremes (so the purported rule will not impact the mid-terms):

. . .On emergency review, on August 24, 2026, the United States Supreme Court concluded that this court lacked jurisdiction to review challenges to the EO’s constitutionality where it was speculative as to whether the USPS would (1) propose a rule; (2) weigh the comments; and (3) issue a final rule consistent with the EO’s directives. Trump v. California, 609 U.S. __, 2026 WL 2473573, at *4 (Aug. 24, 2026) (per curiam). . . . The Supreme Court explicitly noted, however, that the disposition of the government’s emergency application “does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful[. . . .]”

[Almost immediately,] the USPS [has] gone ahead and noticed a proposed rule, solicited and reviewed comments, and issued a Final Rule. See 91 Fed. Reg. 54966. . . .

[Under the proposed final rule,] State or local election officials must submit their ballot envelope and return envelope designs to the USPS for approval, id.; and (3) after obtaining approval of the return ballot envelopes, but precludes election officials from uploading voter information until the USPS approves the ballot envelopes and return ballot envelopes. 91 Fed. Reg. at 54991 (DMM 705.24.4.2(f)). And where a State or local election official does not obtain envelope and return envelope design approval, or does not upload voter information, or does not include unique intelligent mail barcodes on ballot envelopes, the USPS will not mail ballots to voters. 91 Fed. Reg. at 54991 ballot envelope and return envelope designs, State or local election officials must input each voter’s information into a USPS-run electronic portal, 91 Fed. Reg. at 549991 (DMM 705.24.4.2).

The Final Rule provides no timeline for USPS’s approval of ballot envelopes and return ballot envelopes, but precludes election officials from uploading voter information until the USPS approves the ballot envelopes and return ballot envelopes. 91 Fed. Reg. at 54991 (DMM 705.24.4.2(f)). And where a State or local election official does not obtain envelope and return envelope design approval, or does not upload voter information, or does not include unique intelligent mail barcodes on ballot envelopes, the USPS will not mail ballots to voters. 91 Fed. Reg. at 54991. . . .

Plaintiff States promptly challenged the Final Rule in a new action, and Plaintiff Organizations promptly supplemented their complaint to add allegations regarding the Final Rule. In the pending motions, both groups of Plaintiffs seek preliminary injunctive relief and request that the court stay Defendants’ implementation of the Final Rule, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65. . . .

Defendants now claim that Plaintiffs are too late “because appellate review in the ordinary course would come too late for the 2026 midterms.” But the question is not when appellate review will be completed. The issue before the court is whether Plaintiffs have met the traditional standards for emergency relief. . . . [And so, the court TROs the inane rule.]

Updated -- 08.28.2026 PM: Yawn. Silly Trumpers have appealed a "TEMPORARY" restraining order. This sort of brainless gambit has failed them repeatedly before. But they never learn. That's the whole Friday night update -- you cannot appeal a temporary order, knuckleheads. Only final orders may be appealed, silly rabbits. End, update.

It is as plain as the nose on your face -- as a matter of black letter federal law -- that the Post Office cannot be used by 1600 Penn to change state and local law, on mail in voting (to suppress votes from less mobile humans).

That is not a federal concern, at all -- unless the mail-in process is disenfranchising protected classes of would-be voters -- and then, it is the sole province of the DoJ. Here, Tangerine would purport to stand the law on its head, to stop lawful votes from being counted. Insane -- but onward, resolutely just the same. Ever, onward.

नमस्ते

Mere Words Won't Suffice -- Nor Will Images -- You Must See The Energy Of It, For Yourself. The Crowds Are The Whole Story.

I will offer only the below pull-quote, to explain what the words at the top of the building mean.

The crowd provides incredibly positive, joyous energy -- but the rest of the wonder. . . you will have to discover for yourself, if you can score a ticket:

. . .What Are These Words?

Out these windows, Chicago's South and West sides unfold.

It's an image framed by what President Obama has called some of the most important words of his presidency -- capturing his idea of what America can, and should, be.

You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention.

Unencumbered by what is, and ready to seize what ought to be. Everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, there's new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed.

America is not the project of any one person. The single-most powerful word in our democracy is the word "We." "We The People." "We Shall Overcome." "Yes We Can." That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone.

Oh, what a glorious task we are given, to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.

-- President Barack Obama Selma, Alabama, March 7, 2015. . . .

Onward, grinning. . . and grinning, widely. But, you'll likely not depart without shedding at least a few tears -- some of joy; some of sorrow, for what's been lost. But we will "run this back" -- that, I vow. Onward.









Yep.

नमस्ते

More Encouraging Vaccine Candidate News, To Fight Bundibugyo/Ebola -- From An Egyptian/German Bio-Collaboration...

The Lord knows, we need additional approaches, inside Ituri and Bas-Uele -- in DRC, with over 5,500 now afflicted, and over 2,700 dead -- and still expanding rather wildly.

Basing its approach on the Zaire model that worked well in prior outbreaks, Egyptian Minipharm (with the assist of its German unit, called ProBioGen) is now ready to test a new vaccine candidate against Bundibugyo, on the ground. Here's all that, from Fierce BioTech -- as ever:

. . .The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has committed up to $16.5 million to push Minapharm’s Bundibugyo vaccine candidate into the clinic, furthering its response to the Ebola outbreak.

In recent months, more than 2,700 people have died in the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak, primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Seeking to suppress what is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, CEPI called (PDF) for proposals from companies with promising vaccine candidates against the pathogen.

Minapharm answered the call. Working with its Berlin-based unit ProBioGen, the Egyptian drugmaker is developing a vaccine candidate based on the modified vaccinia Ankara platform. A similar technology has provided long-term immunity against Zaire ebolavirus, a related pathogen. . . .

Now you know -- and the Obama Center is well-worth a cross country trip -- if you can secure timed admission tix. I'll have more here later, including some sample imagery. Smile. . . a lovely morning here.

नमस्ते

NASA | Goddard Spaceflight's "Pandora" Mission Is Intently Imaging Exo-Planet Transits, From A Low Earth Orbit: Mini-'Scope Tech!

Using only a very small craft, and a low Earth orbital trajectory -- this lil' guy is both very economical, and very efficient. It will help inform future JWST passes of these exo-wonders, looking for liquid water signatures at the most promising of them. Do read the Goddard Spcelight introduction -- and watch the clever YouTube, below.

My tickets for four hours inside the Obama Presidential Library are up today at noon -- so I'll have more on that, tomorrow -- but in the mean-time, this will likely be today's only entry. Here's Goddard's blog:

. . .The results of the mission will lay a firm foundation for interpreting measurements by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, as well as future observatories focused on finding habitable worlds. In fact, Pandora’s near-infrared detector is a spare originally developed for Webb.

"The spacecraft is healthy and all of the instruments are performing as well as we could have hoped,” said Jordan Karburn, Pandora’s deputy project manager at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. “Our team’s hard work throughout the commissioning process has paid off, and we can now confidently start science. . . ."

Launched into low Earth orbit on Jan. 11, Pandora is an ambitious small satellite (SmallSat) funded by NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers program. Pioneers are designed to explore compelling questions about the universe with fast-paced, low-cost missions that require a higher-than-usual tolerance for failure.

Three factors make Pandora unique. It carries a novel all-aluminum telescope about 18 inches (45 centimeters) in diameter, it will study planets and their host stars simultaneously in both visible and infrared light, and it will observe targets for a much longer time than flagship observatories like Webb are able to. . . .

And, Goddard's video explainer:



नमस्ते

Pennsylvania Has Recorded Two Measles Deaths: A First In Over A Third of a Century. Deplorable.

Yes, this is what happens when a feckless former drig addict billionaire a-hole is put in charge of public health.

Thanks, Donald and RFK. Jr. -- these deaths are your fault. You've encouraged ignorant parents to forgo needed vaccines and now their kids are dying. Charming. This was eradicated in the 1970s -- but measles as a killer, has returned, thanks to. . . you two:

. . .Two people have died in Pennsylvania from measles, the state health department said Tuesday. Both individuals from Lancaster County were unvaccinated.

These the first deaths related to measles within the state in 35 years, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the first deaths reported this year in the U.S.

"My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss," Dr. Debra Bogen, the state's secretary of health, said in a statement. "Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness. . . ."

These deaths are yours, Donald Trump and RFK, Jr. Your inane blather, and luddite policies. . . are the "but for" cause of them. May the mid-terms punish your feckless, malignantly unscientific. . . bloviating.

नमस्ते

Another Motions Hearing -- On Abrego Garcia's Quest To "Be Left Alone, In The US" As A Resident, With Lawful Papers -- Vis-A-Vis ICE/DHS MAGA Goons...

The time is drawing very near, when Abrego Garcia will be "free to live his life" -- either here stateside, or in Costa Rica -- where the Tangerine 2.0 goons cannot reach him.

Then he would be free to return in late 2028, after the next national presidential election is lost (by MAGA).

In any event, here is the overnight paperless order out of Judge Xinis' chambers:

. . .PAPERLESS NOTICE of Hearing:

Cause No. 8:25-cv-02780-PX (US DC, Maryland Dist.)

A Motions Hearing has been scheduled for September 14, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. on all outstanding motions in Courtroom 2C, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, Maryland 20770, before Judge Paula Xinis. . . .

Now you know; onward resolutely.

नमस्ते

This Sunday Morning, The Nancy Grace Roman Space 'Scope Will Liftoff, For A Minimum 5 Year Mission...

Now almost two decades in the planning-to-execution, this excellent deep space science project is. . . ready to take to the inky black depths, about one million miles from home.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Musk rocket will perform to specs on this lift. Here's the latest, on scheduling:

. . .NASA and SpaceX are targeting Roman’s liftoff for no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch coverage begins at 6:20 a.m. . . .

Named for NASA’s first chief astronomer, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will pair sharp infrared vision with a field of view at least 100 times larger than the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope. Its crisp, sweeping surveys will help scientists investigate dark energy and dark matter, discover and characterize exoplanets, map billions of galaxies, study black holes, and explore objects from our own solar system to the edge of the observable universe.

After launch and separation from the rocket, Roman will travel to the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2, about one million miles from Earth. The mission has a five-year primary lifetime with a goal of operating for 10 years, and Roman’s science data will be publicly available after processing. . . .

Now you know, on a flawlessly cool and sunny day. here -- with baby grrls coming over for after school fun this evening! Woot!

नमस्ते

Evanston Will Keep Marching Forward, With Its Entirely Lawful Reparations Payments -- Even As AUSA Boutros Tries To Slow Roll This Coming Dismissal...

This nonsense suit, nominally filed by some whyte crisis actors who never lived in Evanston. . . just keeps dragging on (since 2024 at this point, on a program for which applications closed in 2021). But all the while, we in Evanston (we people of good will) go about our lawful, sane and compassionate official business.

We will dutifully ignore the Fitton-financed morons -- as well as the MAGA USA in Chicago (Boutros) who writes and files far-right political tracts, instead of any actual legal briefs, in this matter at least. Trust that.

And, trust that yours truly will be sitting in the courtroom, in the Dirksen federal building -- on the morning below:

. . .MINUTE entry before the Honorable John F. Kness:

At the Court's instance and in view of the parties' briefing on Defendant's motion to bifurcate discovery [45] and the US's motion to intervene as a plaintiff [48], the hearing set for 8/25/2026 is stricken and reset to 10/7/2026 at 10:00 A.M. . . .

Onward -- with just two weeks, until a month in the EU. . . Nice, France -- then Florence, Italy. . . then Rome, or Paris (depending on weather, mostly -- but back by October 2, even if I am in Northern Ireland for a few days). Smile.

नमस्ते

Tangent [Exclusive]: Mr. Mulleady Has Apparently Agreed To Plead Guilty To Some Charges, In Miami, Florida...

While I was in the High Rockies, apparently Mr. Mulleady offered to plead guilty to at least some charges, related to his true threats of harm, including a picture of a gun -- sent by means of interstate commerce (the web) -- to Martin Shkreli and others.

Many regular readers here will recall that the jury in his multi-count federal felony menacing trial. . . deadlocked, last Spring.

But both sides have agreed to a 30 day continuance on a motion, in order to document the plea deal. Here's that -- in text:

. . .The parties have negotiated a plea in this case, and are currently working out the details and documents. Both the undersigned and the government will be in trial next week during the current hearing date. Mr. Mulleady thus respectfully requests that this Court continue the currently set hearing date for 30 days. Once the documents are finalized, the parties will reach out to the Court to set a change of plea date.

Undersigned counsel has conferred with AUSA Felipe Plechac-Diaz regarding the relief requested herein. The government has no objection to this continuance. . . .

My hunch, then, is that it will limit Mulleady's jail time to that which he has already served, in Dade. . . and the matter will be a five year supervised release, with deferred sentencing.

We shall see, but I doubt very much he will get the acquittal he was seeking -- and he will remain a convicted felon, which makes any life in a white collar world. . . unlikely (unless he becomes a POTUS, I guess).

Onward, grinning.

नमस्ते

I've Removed Some Political Bluster, In The Pull-Quote -- But This Law Firm Memo Is Probably Right -- About The Direction Of Amazon's Current NLRB/Defense Cases...

Now that billionaires have captured a 3-1 majority of the NLRB, some right leaning labor / corporate defense law firms are clucking and gloating about the coming bloodbath in the laws protecting US workers' rights to organize union votes. [You may read lots more of that political invective here.]

It is a false-framing though, to cast these as Biden labor policies. These laws strech back to the early 1990s. And they were mostly given renewed teeth, in the two Obama administrations. In any event, they've been settled law for over 12 years. And now, Bezos and Musk will wipe them off the books. Here's that:

. . .What Happened?

The NLRB has historically refrained from overturning precedent unless it has three votes to do so. Now that James Macy has been approved by the Senate, the Board has three Republican appointees (Macy, Chairman James Murphy, and Scott Mayer) and just one Democratic appointee (David Prouty). That means we can expect the Board to begin taking action to strip away many of the legal standards set [over the last 14 years]. . . .

Speech and Expression During Union Campaigns / Captive Audience Meetings (Amazon.com Services)

There is no issue that our Labor team feels more strongly about. All of them provide a 100% prediction that that new Board will [permit] employers to require mandatory attendance at employer meetings regarding unionization.

This will overturn the. . . 2024 decision that. . . held that mandatory captive audience meetings violate the NLRA. . . .

An employer forcing its employees to sit through anti-union lectures (on pain of being docked pay, or even losing their jobs, no less). . . plainly violates what MAGA claims are rights to not listen, under the free association [or refusal to associate] jurisprudence, that they would say is embedded in our First Amendment rights.

These guys cannot keep the players straight -- when employers want to lecture employees about participating in preventative health programs at work, these MAGA people cry that that violates their "freedom" to make poor healthcare choces in their lives. But just as unions cause increasing wages, and thus increasing costs, at companies -- failure to join the fitness programs at companies clearly cost employers money, too. But no billionaires (save perhaps Bill Gates, Tim Cook and Phil Knight) are taking that to court.

In any event, the right leaning law firm is right: this Trumpain NLRB clearly now intends to strip workers' rights, and benefit billionaires, like Bezos. Damn.

नमस्ते

CDC Says Mpox Is Likely Now Endemic In The US -- "Here To Stay" Since 2022: CIDRAP

A viral vector that could have been arrested even before last year, is now likely going to be a constant companion, in some circles -- even in the United States, from here onward.

This is a story of US public policy / health care outreach. . . failure. This is what happens, when we stop helping with world-wide preventative health initiatives. Here's the latest, from CIDRAP, at the U. of Minn. -- while I was mostly off-grid, in the mountains last week:

. . .Although mpox cases related to the 2022 global outbreak were diagnosed in people who had traveled aboard, the virus now is spreading continuously in the United States.

Persistent, low levels of mpox “suggest a likely transition toward endemic circulation,” according to a report in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) flagship publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The paper also quantifies the risk of hospitalization in unvaccinated mpox patients.

Mpox spreads through close contact, such as cuddling, kissing, or sex. Mpox can spread among household contacts, either from skin-to-skin contact or by sharing towels or bedding. In the current outbreak in Guinea-Bissau, half of cases are in children.

In the United States, mpox is most common among men who have sex with men. The CDC recommends that people at risk for mpox, including those traveling to countries with outbreaks of the virus, receive two doses of the Jynneos vaccine. . . .

The global outbreak of clade 2b mpox that began in 2022 has infected 100,000 people in 122 total countries, including 115 countries in which mpox was not previously reported. . . .

Truly, this is tragic.

Even so, here, elementary public schoolkids go back tomorrow now -- how summers fly, nowadays! Smile. . . and, we travel onward, resolutely -- as ever.

नमस्ते

Trump’s Stupid (Tariff) Bullying Of Canada… Has Failed.

This is precisely what "Saint" (tongue firmly in cheek!) Ronnie Reagan warned us about in 1985: tariffs lead to retaliatory return tariffs.

And American families, workers and employers pay the brunt of the price. So too, again tonight as I ride the trains home from Midway Airport. Here is the latest, per the NYT:

. . .Mark Carney suspended talks and will take out retaliatory tariffs against the United States after days of negotiations to stave off new levies by the Trump administration ended in an impasse. . . .

Crucial trade talks between the United States and Canada to stave off punishing new tariffs by the Trump administration on Canadian goods collapsed late Friday, with Canada saying it would retaliate “dollar for dollar. . . .”

Geez -- what a feckless, and senile putz this Trump guy is.

नमस्ते

Chief Justice Roberts Issues A Temp. Admin Order, Ballroom Destruction To Continue For Now…

The order will allow the rest of the Supremes to consider whether they should even hear the Trump appeal.

It is -- by its nature -- unreasoned and summary. Even so, it does not indicate a specific time by which it would expire if the Supreme Court doesn't otherwise take the case.

As I've said before, I expect that the Supremes will rebuff Tangerine 2.0 here. Here is the esteemed Amy Howe, on it all:

. . .Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary order, known as an administrative stay, that kept Leon’s order on hold to give the justices more time to consider the Trump administration’s request to pause it.

The brief, one-sentence stay did not indicate when the justices might act on the government’s request. . . .

I honestly don't think justice Roberts was playing politics here. . . I think he simply wants the rest of the court to back him when they do dismiss it -- and gathering their reasoned views (during recess, to boot) will take more than a few minutes.

[Onward, posting from a delayed @ 35,000 feet Southwest 737 Max8 jet -- somewhere east of the Colorado line.] Smile.

नमस्ते

70,000 Jabs, Of Merck's Ervebo Vaccine Headed To DRC -- Ituri And Bas-Uele: Good News!

So, yes, this is good news -- and it is widely suspected that the vaccine will be protective against Bundibugyo -- but this will help prove this by empirical evidence.

Here's the latest news, from Reuters:

. . .The Democratic Republic of Congo has been allocated 70,000 doses of Merck's Ervebo vaccine for Ebola, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, as the ‌country attempts to contain its biggest-ever outbreak of the deadly disease. . . .

The health agency said the group ⁠allocated 70,000 Ervebo doses for Congo, of which 20,000 shots will be used in a late-stage trial to understand the impact of the vaccine on the Bundibugyo virus.

Geneva-based global vaccine alliance Gavi said they would provide $7 million to fund the shipment to Congo along with another $6 million to help with vaccination efforts in high-risk areas.

The ongoing outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments.

"It is not known whether ‌Ervebo ⁠may be protective against the Bundibugyo virus in humans," WHO said, stressing the importance of clinical trials to provide new evidence.

[Merck's] Ervebo is approved to prevent disease caused by the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain. . . .

Now you know. Back to the City of Big Shoulders tomorrow evening. Smile. . . .

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Katalyst Space Will NOT Attempt A Boost Of The Swift ‘Scope: NASA

This is admittedly tough news.

The lifting will not be attempted.

As ever, safety comes first, and if anything were to go wrong with grappling — and/or then firing the rocket engines while holding the Swift Space telescope, this whole shooting match could end up crashing into other satellites and causing a chain reaction of global proportions. Understandably, that risk has been judged as not worth the return, here — by wiser heads, at NASA.

So Swift will be allowed to burn up in the atmosphere later this year in 2026. Here’s the latest from NASA, tonight:

. . .Due to an ongoing commercial spacecraft attitude control issue, NASA and Katalyst Space announced Wednesday the LINK spacecraft will not capture or boost an agency satellite to a higher altitude to extend its science mission as planned. . . .

“We knew this was a high-risk, high-reward mission – a first-of-its kind attempt, developed on an unprecedented timeline driven by the Sun’s activity,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We were all hoping for more science from Swift. But we knew the takeaways from this mission would be worthwhile either way, and we have gained so much through the series of accomplishments up to this point. . . .”

Without intervention, NASA anticipates Swift is likely to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year. As part of the agency’s previous planning for Swift’s end of life, NASA will continue to prioritize finding new options to react rapidly to cosmic events, using current missions to help fill the gap in the meantime. . . .

In happier news, my nearly 92 year-old mother got to witness a rainbow below her feet as we stared over a cliff at over 14,000 feet of elevation this afternoon. It’s really something to be above the clouds and see a rainbow arc below your feet — grin.

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