Well. For Only The Fourth Time -- In 16 Years -- I've Beaten Mr. Obama.

And if UCLA can win out in the women's brackets -- it will be the first time I've ever beaten him in both the men's and women's.

No matter how the final four in the men's breaks, now -- I will win by at least 11 points, and three games -- over his picks. All four of my final four picks are still dancing -- but both of us have Duke to win it all, so he can't catch me.

And on the women's side, UCLA is playing very well -- and is likely to take it all -- so I may well win out there as well. But he can still beat me, if South Carolina were to win it all.

Now we wait -- and watch. Onward, smiling. Be excellent to one another. [Today, Tangerine is talking nonsense about a delusional third term. It is all strictly for the chaos value. No sane person will allow that -- not without a Constitutional amendment. Read: no way, meet no how.]

नमस्ते

Irony Alert! In New Jersey, Tangerine/Noem Lawyers Seek A Two Day Extension On Filing Papers... Because They Had To Travel From DC To NJ -- By Car(!?)

I. Cannot. Even.

You may think this trivial, but on Friday afternoon, the Kristi Noem lawyers sought a two day delay in deadlines -- whilst their client holds the petitioner, Mr. Khalil, in a privately-owned, privately-funded (but government contract beneficiary) prison -- in deeply rural LOUISIANA. They whined on and on, about the difficulty of having to drive up from the DC Beltway, to Newark -- and said that they lost over a half day of. . . work time. R-iiiiii-ght. [Ever heard of the. . . choo choo?! "You can keep working, while the miles, and two hours. . . melt away." Ugh.]

Now do recall though, that these same people had Mr. Khalil yanked out of Manhattan, and into Elizabeth, New Jersey, in the dead of night -- and then flown to Louisiana without telling his lawyers. AND... these same lawyers seek to move all the proceedings to... Baton Rogue.

They are willing to "give" Mr. Khalil's counsel an extra day or two to reply to their latest BS, since they want to delay showing their own cards. But seriously -- here's a crazy idea: why (if these logistics are vexing) wouldn't Kristi Noem have him moved to DC -- make it all "local"?

Almost comically, the as filed two-page letter is riddled with typos and sentence fragments -- claiming that "some OIL members experienced a widespread IT issue that left some team members." That's where this particular nonsense non-sentence ends. "Left" some members. . . what? How? Where? When?

As it is, she wants Mr. Khalil's NYC based counsel to rent hotel rooms for a few weeks in Louisiana, along with her lawyers doing the damn same?!? So much for government efficiency. Yes, a fairly small matter in the grand scheme of Tangerine's lawlessness -- and Noem's -- but there is zero chance that a green card holding Columbia U. grad student is a danger to this nation. Zero. This is simply abuse of process.

नमस्ते

[U: Video Now @ 38 Minutes...] Rocketry Is... Hard: Isar Aerospace's Spectrum Explodes 38 Seconds After Launch In Norway...

Well. . . the challenges are manifold. We all know that.

They will try again. Here's CBS on it all:

. . .A test rocket aimed at building the ability to launch satellites from Europe exploded about 40 seconds after takeoff from a Norwegian spaceport on Sunday.

The unmanned Spectrum rocket, an orbital rocket developed by German start-up Isar Aerospace, started smoking from its sides and then crashed back to Earth with a powerful explosion after launching from Norway's Andoya Spaceport in the Arctic.

Daniel Metzler, Isar's chief executive and co-founder, said in a news release "We had a clean liftoff, 30 seconds of flight and even got to validate our Flight Termination System. . . ."

Spectrum's blast-off was the first of an orbital launch vehicle from the European continent, excluding Russia, and Europe's first financed almost exclusively by the private sector. . . .

Now you know. Kinda' like. . . "Death of a Unicorn" yesterday. Hah -- see below -- updated, at 38 minutes in:



नमस्ते

So, Kids With Measles In West Texas Are Presenting With Vitamin A Toxicity -- In Their Livers...?!

This is. . . simply hard to fathom: in 2025, kids in dusty West Texas, already sick with measles (a vaccine-preventable affliction) are showing up at hospitals with. . . liver damage -- due to Vitamin A toxicity (overdosing on Vitamin A) -- all due to HHS Sec'y. RFK, Jr.'s wildly irresponsible and dangerous exhortations. Vitamin A will not cure or prevent measles. But too much of it will damage these kids' livers -- for life. Surreal.

Holy cow. Thank you Dr. Marks for speaking up. All real bioscience professionals must speak out against this lethal lunacy. Here's all of that, via NBCNews.com -- just deplorable:

. . .Dr. Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine regulator, has resigned, an official at the Department of Health and Human Services said Friday. . . .

In a resignation letter to acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner, Dr. Marks wrote that undermining confidence in vaccines is “irresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nation’s health, safety, and security. . . .

It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies. . . .”

Disgusting.

Still, onward resolutely, to "Death of A Unicorn" (with my girl, Jenna Ortega) -- this afternoon, and NCAA tonight -- I'm one game up on Mr. Obama in the men's and we are tied in the women's at the moment -- but it will certainly be different, now -- by Monday night.



नमस्ते

End Of March Check In: On Amazon -- And The Manifold Abuses -- Of Its Laborers... An Ongoing Series.

Not at all surprising, given what we already knew about the way Amazon monitors every motion; every moment and every footstep of its employees and drivers, both on and off- premises. . . 24/7/365. But it is still. . . deplorable.

This latest study, out of my own home-town university. . . makes plain why Bezos does it: because it is highly effective at breaking worker solidarity. And thus, effective at defeating union organizing campaigns. Here's the latest, out of data from the Alabama union drives:

. . .A new paper on Amazon’s anti-union efforts at its Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse is the first academic study to examine the ways Amazon has leveraged algorithms to crush pro-union movements inside one of its sprawling warehouses. The study, published by researcher Teke Wiggin of Northwestern University, was compiled using dozens of worker interviews and FOIA requests to the National Labor Relations Board.

Ultimately, the 2021 union vote in Bessemer ended with workers voting against joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) by a count of 1,798 to 738 out of 5,867 workers eligible to vote, proving that the sprawling surveillance and discipline system is highly effective.

Since the 2021 election, Amazon has been ordered to hold two more elections at the plant. However, the company has proved exceptionally deft at thrashing worker organizing with both old-school and cutting-edge technologies. The modern tactics detailed by Wiggin include leveraging algorithmic discipline on worker devices, algorithmic slack-cutting or “electronic whipping,” in which algorithms rapidly alter quotas and rules, mobile device spamming, and social media monitoring. . . .

Now you know. Onward -- but it cannot break my positive ju-ju mood, as I'm out for a ride to/by the lake, and fresh hot fish tacos from a sublime local truck / vendor! Smile.

Be excellent to one another and root for Michigan tonight to pull an upset, so I might best Mr. Obama. . . we are essentially tied at the moment in the men's, but he is up two games on me, in the women's brackets. Much more once Sweet 16 weekend is in the books! Yup.

नमस्ते

Now The Weekly Status Reports Begin -- To Stop Musk/Trump Foot-Draggin' -- On USAID Payment Streams, During The Litigation...

As previously ordered here, the reports on restarted payments are now appearing in the DC courtroom of the able USDC Judge Amir Ali.

Here's the latest -- but I expect this will be "not enough" for Judge Ali. We shall see:

. . .As of yesterday, the total number of such payments by Defendants to Plaintiffs processed since March 18, 2025 was 161, and the total number of such payments by Defendants to non-Plaintiffs processed since March 18, 2025 was 5,690. In sum, [Trumpian] Defendants have therefore processed 5,851 payments between March 18 and March 26, which amounts to approximately 975 payments per business day. . . .

Defendants’ intention has been to prioritize payments to Plaintiffs. The remaining payments to Plaintiffs have presented particular challenges [Editor's note: this is likely BS] precluding faster processing: More time has been necessary to process the remaining payments to Plaintiffs than Defendants estimated in the March 19, 2025 status report because agency personnel are working with funding recipients to address transaction-specific details (such as duplicate invoice submissions, billing errors, and the need to confirm that goods or services were delivered or rendered).

Accordingly, Defendants’ proposed timeline for processing the remaining payments is as follows: Defendants expect to process the remaining payments to Plaintiffs by April 10, 2025, and the remaining payments by the last week of April 2025. . . .

The last two paragraphs above are at best. . . gilding the lily. Hopefully Judge Amir will order that the remaining overdue amounts are cleared before April 15, and all ongoing payment streams are back to normal before April 20. We shall see.

नमस्ते

And Once Again, Trump Thinks He Can Jack Up Auto-Parts Tariffs Anew, Then "Order" US Automakers To NOT Raise Prices?!

Ahem. Once again, about a month later. . .

You might think it an Onion headline -- but no, it is the capitalists' paper of record.

The WSJ. And the NYT. Crazy.

Both are reporting that Trump is this morning threatening US automakers, immediately after he personally raised their cost of goods sold by an additional 25%. . . to NOT pass along the cost increases.

Someone should tell him how Nixon's wage and price controls worked out. [They didn't.]

And here's a novel concept: if as preznit, you don't want base-model US pickup trucks to cost north of $110,000, at the dealership. . . ROLL BACK YOUR STUPID A$$ TARIFFS on parts coming across the border from Mexico and Canada.

Damn.

This is simply. . . a clown show now. And to be clear, the preszit (after Reagan era legislation) is largely forbidden from setting prices (or wages) in any retail US market.

So the automakers ought to give him exactly what his Nineteenth Century bass-ackwards tariff policies contemplate: ~$110,000 per base model US pickup truck -- at the dealership, to Joe Sixpack.

It would be hilarious. . . if it wasn't so tragically. . . sad. He's a loon.

नमस्ते

In Which Tangerine 2.0 Argues There Can Be "No Consequences" For Filing Knowingly False Sworn Pleadings -- By Agency Heads Like Ezell...?!

Perhaps recognizing that a deposition in the case before USDC Judge Alsup in SF. . . will lead inexorably to perjury charges -- or at least, civil contempt citations in federal court, overnight Team Tangerine asserted the astonishing position that Trump's agency heads are too busy and too important to be bothered with having to tell the truth in court. Damn.

You will recall that the able USDC Judge Alsup called Charles Ezell out personally in a hearing last month, for making false statements under oath in a sworn affidavit the government filed. Once caught, the lawyers for Tangerine simply withdrew his sworn statement, and refused to make him available to the Judge -- to explain why he swore to matters that he had to know were false -- including claiming he was on a call he never attended -- and he knew when he signed the affidavit that what was purportedly said on that supposed call. . . was a lie.

Quite rightly, we the people expect of our federal law administering employees (since we pay their salaries, afterall) that they will tell the truth in court. That is how we come to trust that our government works for us, not against us. The idea that Trump/Musk can just wave its hands and say "never mind!" -- ask this other guy instead of Ezell and all is healed. . . is frankly. . . preposterous.

But that is what they said in SF overnight. I will only quote the smallest bit of it, to give you a flavor. These jamokes are absolutely. . . shameless:

. . .Defendants have now withdrawn that TRO-opposition declaration and will not otherwise rely on Acting Director Ezell’s testimony in this litigation, given the Court’s concerns with allowing a party to submit declaration testimony that is not subject to cross-examination.

In sum, Mr. Ezell’s deposition should be precluded because he is a high-level official whose testimony would detract from the performance of his official duties and because there are no extraordinary circumstances present warranting his deposition.

If the Court denies a protective order, the government will consider filing a petition for a writ of mandamus in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Defendants respectfully request that, if the Court denies a protective order, the Court order the deposition delayed at least two weeks to give the government time to consider whether to seek such relief. Furthermore, if the government were to file a mandamus petition, the deposition should be stayed until the court of appeals rules on that petition. . . .

Sheesh! Now you know. Onward, smiling just the same -- with a bike ride to get hot fish tacos tonight -- by the lake, as it warms up here, with my baby girl!

नमस्ते

Merck’s 12 Year Patent Reissue Period Upheld On Appeal — For Bridion®

We have followed sugammadex for about 17 years now -- first at old SGP under Fast Fred Hassan, and later at Merck. The blockade candidate saw over 12 years shaved from its US patent/market exclusivity period via multiple "do over" FDA reviews (the companies' own fault -- for presenting inadequate data from poorly designed studies).

Now a court of appeal has held Merck may "reclaim" that lost time / revenue, under Hatch-Waxman. Here's that bit, from the National Law Review:

. . .Merck owns a patent that is directed to a class of 6-mercapto-cyclodextrin derivatives. Four months after the patent issued, Merck applied to the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of sugammadex, which it intended to market as Bridion®. During FDA’s review of Merck’s new drug application (NDA), Merck filed a reissue application that included narrower claims. The reissue application issued and included all the original claims and 12 additional claims. FDA regulatory review continued throughout the examination of the reissue application and extended almost two years beyond the date the patent reissued. In all, the FDA regulatory review lasted nearly 12 years. . . .

To be sure, this is a multi-billion dollar win for Merck. Onward.

नमस्ते

[U: Now March 30 -- Wind Restrictions.] Isar's Spectrum Rocket May Now Launch From Norway, Saturday Morning Eastern Time...

Hopefully the winds will stay calm through early Saturday morning in the northern latitudes around Andøya, Norway.

We shall see, but here is the newly revised time-line/launch window from the privately-funded rocketeer:

. . .Isar Aerospace, based near Munich, Germany, is scheduled to make the first-ever launch attempt of its Spectrum two-stage rocket no earlier than Saturday, March 29, at 11:30 UTC from the Orbital Launch Pad at the Andøya Space Center in Norway. An earlier attempt on Monday, March 24 was scrubbed due to high winds.

Isar is targeting the beginning of a three-hour window that ends at 14:30 UTC. . . .

The Spectrum rocket will be flying on a northwest trajectory over the Norwegian Sea, which would take any payload into a retrograde orbit, although no customer payloads are on board this flight. Andøya, at 69 degrees North latitude and above the Arctic Circle, is one of the most northerly rocket launch sites in the world and can support orbital inclinations between 90 and 110.6 degrees. Andøya is planned to support up to 30 orbital launches per year. . . .

Now you know. Smiling, onward.

नमस्ते

OMB Gets "No Stay" In First Circuit -- Tangerine 2.0 Loses Again! Rhode Island Injunction Continues ("Freeze Stays Frozen") Against OMB/DOGE Actions...

Again. . . these guys couldn't do a much worse job of changing government mechanisms. . . if they tried their best to do so.

They are just so fecklessly incompetent -- and malignant -- that the whole thing has become a sad farce. Here's the First Circuit's 48 page slapdown of today, and a bit:

. . .OMB circulated a document to federal agencies entitled "Instructions for Federal Financial Assistance Program Analysis in Support of M-25-13" ("OMB Spreadsheet"). It "required" "[a]ll Federal agencies that provide Federal financial assistance. . . to complete the attached spreadsheet and submit it to OMB" by February 7, 2025. The spreadsheet listed over 2,500 federal funding lines, including for programs that the OMB Q&A explicitly stated were excluded from the pause, the Head Start program being one example. . . .

[T]he Plaintiff-States alleged that they receive significant amounts of federal funds to provide essential services to their residents. They further alleged that the Agency Defendants' implementation of the OMB Directive, by resulting in the withholding of these funds and providing them with less than twenty-four hours' notice of doing so, would interfere with their ability to provide such services. They alleged, too, that the tight time frame for the OMB Directive's implementation and the last-minute notice of it "compounded the[ir] injuries" because they could neither "prepare for or mitigate" the fiscal impact nor effectively plan for any future or downstream fiscal effects. . . .

[D]espite bearing a "strong showing" burden under Nken's first factor, the [Trumpian] Defendants make no clear or developed argument to us that the District Court abused its discretion in relying on that record to apply the preliminary injunction to such freezes. We thus conclude that, as to this aspect of their motion for the stay, the Defendants also have failed to make a strong showing of their likelihood of success on the merits. . . .

So. . . it is like. . . 82-3 against Tangerine 2.0. Hilarious.

नमस्ते

CREW Files Its First Expedited Discovery Request, In DC -- Of Elon Musk And DOGE. And It's A Banger!

This will be very enlightening.

This also "drags back in" the breaches of employment terms Elon Musk allegedly committed when he fired all those X-itter workers two years ago (as he bought it, and rebranded Twitter as. . . X-itter). Obviously, he's using the exact same playbook here, is the allegation (see the last several pages of this attachment -- at pages 10, 11 and 12 -- to the discovery motion).

. . .All documents, including responses, produced in response to Plaintiff States’ First Set of Written Discovery in New Mexico v. Musk, No. 1:25-cv-429 (D.D.C. filed February 13, 2025), and the consolidated case Japanese American Citizens League v. Musk, 1:25-cv-643 (D.D.C. filed Mar. 5, 2025), including copies of Defendants’ answers to all requests for production, interrogatories, and requests for admission, including objections, as well as any exhibits, attachments, logs, files, or other things produced in response to Plaintiff States’ requests in that case, as well as any deposition transcripts produced. . . .

Plaintiff also seeks a deposition of DOGE under Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(b)(6) on the following topics:

. . .Describe all instances in which any DOGE employee told an employee of a federal agency that the DOGE employee would or could call law enforcement in response to the other employee’s conduct, including who made such statement, the federal agency and conduct of the federal agency employee at issue, the law enforcement entity referenced, and, if the law enforcement was called, who made the call and law enforcement’s response. . . .

Identify whether any DOGE employee or DOGE Team member has used or presently uses non-official messaging systems or applications with auto-delete functionality, including but not limited to Signal, to conduct government business [in violation of federal record-keeping laws; and identify. . .]

DOGE’s establishment, mission, responsibilities, personnel, leadership structure, authorities, and decision-making and reporting structure (including the relationship of DOGE to DOGE Teams and DOGE employees detailed to or otherwise working at or with federal agencies and the relationship of DOGE Teams to federal agencies) between January 20, 2025 and the date of deposition.

The scope of DOGE’s and DOGE Teams’ authority with regard to federal agencies, and actions DOGE or DOGE Teams have actually undertaken with regard to federal agencies, between January 20, 2025 and the date of deposition.

The role and responsibilities of all DOGE employees detailed to or otherwise working at or with federal agencies, or having supervisory authority over DOGE employees detailed to or otherwise working at or with federal agencies, between January 20, 2025 and the date of deposition, including their titles at DOGE and any federal government entity; their responsibilities at federal agencies, DOGE, and any other federal government entities to which they have been detailed and/or otherwise assigned; their authority with regard to other federal agency staff; the supervision of said DOGE employees; and the policies, procedures, and protocols pertaining to their detailing to and activities at other federal agencies.

DOGE’s budget, resources, funding, and expenditure of federal funds.

DOGE’s recordkeeping and retention policies and practices. . . .

Yep -- these jamokes are in for a rough ride. Just as it ought to be. Onward.

नमस्ते

Power Alley: In The Merck v. Merck Multi-Billion Dollar Federal Lanham Act Name Spat In Newark, There Will Be Oral Argument Held On May 30, 2025...

The argument that day will be over what sort of limits may be placed on evidence -- to be introduced at some future bench trial date, on which of the two is usurping the other's name and branding.

I suspect the real goal of the oral argument will be to help each side see the weaknesses in its own case, here. That is where the able Senior USDC Judge is heading, I think.

Yes, as I've long said, this case should settle. Neither side should risk losing well-over a century's worth of brand good will, built up in the two iconic pharma names and word marks at right, globally. . . by going to trial. There is much room for a settlement that allows each to move on. But we shall see. Here's the able USDC Judge Salas's order, just entered -- for that May date:

. . .TEXT ORDER:

The Court will hold oral argument on Defendants' motions in limine (D.E. Nos. [261], [262], [264], [268], [269] & [271]) on Friday, 5/30/2025 at 01:00 PM in Newark - Courtroom 5A before Judge Esther Salas.

In the interim, Defendants' motions in limine (D.E. Nos. [261], [262], [264], [268], [269] & [271]) are ADMINISTRATIVELY TERMINATED for docket management purposes only.So Ordered by Judge Esther Salas on 3/27/2025. . . .

Onward, as Kennedy outlines plans to cut about 10,000 positions from Health and Human Services. Damn. That's a setback, for the progress of bio-sciences, and human health care. Just. . . damn.

नमस्ते

Space Telescope Advances -- In Just About 18 Years: Spitzer To JWST...

Regardless of how one feels about the naming of the JWST, there can be no debate -- about its peepers: the gain in visual acuity is nothing short of breathtaking.

Both Hubble and Spitzer took wonderful images, even into the infrared, as well -- for their day. But the Webb, or JWST as I refer to it. . . is like using binoculars for the first time, after hunting down hummingbirds, with your bare eyes. . . for decades. These are the same star forming region inside our own Milky Way, in a spot called Herbig-Haro 49/50 (HH 49/50), or the “Cosmic Tornado”.

It is very nearby -- right in the neighborhood, when we are speaking in galaxy-scales.

I'll offer more on the interstellar science about it all -- and a nice new masthead. . . likely over the coming weekend.

But I wanted to pause here a moment -- to note the geometric leap we've made in imaging, in under one crop of undergrads. These are things to smile about, even as a Secretary of Defense lies to our faces. Onward.

नमस्ते

Busy Times! Mr. Khalil And Other Columbia Students To Amend Their Complaint Against Kristi Noem And Trump And ICE And DHS...

We will tune in tomorrow to several audio streamed hearings, including this one. Mr. Khalil will have the upper hand, that much is certain.

So. . . this will be interesting:

. . .Notwithstanding the Executive Branch Defendants’ and the Congressional Defendants’ position, in light of the fact that the Court maintained the Temporary Restraining Order pending the supplemental briefing owed to the Court tomorrow and contemplating Plaintiffs’ filing of an amended complaint, it is Plaintiffs’ position that the Temporary Restraining Order should remain in place unless and until the Court decides otherwise based on the filings tomorrow afternoon and the filing of the second amended complaint on Tuesday, or at whatever time the Court determines.

Accordingly, it is respectfully requested that the Court’s grant Plaintiffs’ request, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. Rule 15(a)(2), to amend their complaint a second time. . . .

Onward, grinning -- these Tangerine 2.0 folks are. . . malign idiots.

नमस्ते

New Supplement -- In SF/Seattle -- More Mayhem, From Trumpian Foot-Dragging On Complying With Court Orders Re Probationary Employees At HUD And NOAA...

Pending before the able USDC Judge Alsup is a motion to compel the federal government to comply with the Alsup TRO and other prior orders, as to probationary employees. It seems Tangerine and Musk are foot-dragging on compliance.

In fact, it was just about two days ago that some Oregon HUD probationary employees were finally, unequivocally notified that they were re-instated, if that was what they wished. That order was entered 15 days ago, now. They are all owed missing paychecks, through tonight -- no matter what. Here's the just filed 22 page supplement -- and a bit:

. . .The mass termination of probationary federal employees will have rippling effects statewide. For example, sweeping terminations of probationary employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could “effectively incapacitate” Washington’s housing authorities, which provide vital services to low-income Washingtonians. Dkt 70-7 ¶ 8. Mass firings at the National Institutes of Health would have deep financial implications for Washington state’s top research institutions. Id. ¶ 12. Terminations of NPS probationary employees will lead to unsafe conditions in Washington’s national parks -- which receive tens of millions of visitors per year -- and hamper park rangers’ ability to assist or rescue injured visitors. Id. ¶ 13. Terminations at agencies like the BOR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers risk compromising critical infrastructure such as the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest hydropower producer in the United States. Id. ¶ 16. And probationary employee terminations impacting wildfire response will significantly diminish Washington’s ability to prevent, respond, and contain catastrophic wildfires. Id. ¶ 15.

Of course, the record is already replete with examples of harms that have affected other Plaintiffs and that would similarly affect the State of Washington. . .

This may well lead to more than one Tangeriner or Muskite. . . spending a few nights in jail. Geez. Out.

नमस्ते

Anon. Reminds Us: It Is NOT NIH Or HHS Or USAID Making These Cuts... It Is Trump/Musk/Kennedy/Rubio.

Too many MSM stories are imprecise, in this time of chaos -- in the headlines they run under, particularly.

I get that longer headlines are disfavored -- but accuracy is also a. . . virtue, folks. Anon. has reminded us (and Nature.com, too) that career scientists are not directing these deplorable cuts. The political hacks are. And we should all be complaining to our Congress-critters about that. Congress can end this madness more swiftly than the courts can. Here's Anon.'s cogent take -- on this article -- one which bears a deceptive headline at least at the moment:

. . .I wish people would amend comments/titles. NIH isn’t canceling. Trump/DOGE/Kennedy and all their cronies are doing it. Staff are being told to execute the cuts or risk losing jobs. . . .

Now you know. Onward -- resolutely.

नमस्ते

Power Alley: Merck's Capvaxive® (Pneumococcal 21-Valent Conjugate Vaccine) Clears EU Health Regulators: Good News!

This is very good news, for Rahway.

The company had previously received Australian, Canadian, and US FDA clearance -- but awaits clearance in Japan -- for the this same new 21 valent strep vaccine candidate. It will come. Here's the latest -- not material just yet, but good news, just the same:

. . .[Merck] announced today that the European Commission (EC) has approved CAPVAXIVE® (Pneumococcal 21-valent Conjugate Vaccine) for active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15B, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B in individuals 18 years of age and older. CAPVAXIVE is a pneumococcal vaccine specifically designed to help protect adults from the serotypes responsible for the majority of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) cases. The EC approval of CAPVAXIVE is based on safety and immunogenicity data from the Phase 3 STRIDE clinical program. . . .

This decision authorizes the marketing of CAPVAXIVE in all 27 European Union (EU) member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The timing for availability of CAPVAXIVE in individual countries will depend on multiple factors, including the completion of reimbursement procedures. CAPVAXIVE was approved in the U.S. in June 2024, in Canada in July 2024, and in Australia in January 2025.

"Pneumococcal disease continues to pose a significant risk for adults in Europe, among adults who are 65 or older, and also among younger adults who are immunocompromised or have chronic medical conditions," said Dr. Lina Pérez Breva, Vaccine Research, Fisabio -- Public Health, Valencia, Spain. . . .

Onward, smiling -- ever, smiling. Be excellent to one another.

नमस्ते

The "Ghost Guns" Remain Unlawful In The US: Thanks To The Sanity Of The Last Biden/Harris Administration.

Just as we said it would, a solid 7-2 majority of the Supremes have banned the making and selling of "ghost guns", here in the USA.

This is a victory for sanity, for Mr. Biden and Kamala Harris, and for Democrats and Republicans who still believe the phrase in the Second Amendment reading "well-regulated" means something. It is not the anywhere near the end -- but a good start, at our crazily permissive gun laws.

. . .Shortly after the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stunned the Nation, Congress adopted the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). Pub. L. 90–618, 82 Stat. 1213. Existing gun control measures, Congress found, allowed criminals to acquire largely untraceable guns too easily. See 82 Stat. 225. Often, for example, criminals could evade state laws regulating in-person sales simply by purchasing guns through the mail. Ibid. In response, Congress adopted a number of new mandates. As a result, many of those now engaged in importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms must obtain federal licenses, keep records of their sales, and conduct background checks before transferring firearms to private buyers. 18 U. S. C. §§922(t), 923(a), (g)(1)(A). . . .

Recent years, however, have witnessed profound changes in how guns are made and sold. When Congress adopted the GCA in 1968, “the milling equipment, materials needed, and designs were far too expensive for individuals to make firearms practically or reliably on their own.” 87 Fed. Reg. 24688. With the introduction of new technologies like 3D printing and reinforced polymers, that is no longer true. Today, companies are able to make and sell weapon parts kits that individuals can assemble into functional firearms in their own homes. . . .

Now you know. Thank you, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris.

नमस्ते

The Team Behind The Parker Spacecraft And The Solar Dips Missions... Just Won The Collier Award. KUDOS!

The excellent team of engineers and scientists from NASA, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, and more than three dozen other partner organizations across the country that designed, engineered, built and flew the Parker Solar Probe mission were just awarded the 2024 Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association.

Well-deserved! And here is just a bit of what they achieved, and we covered over the last eight or so years:

. . .On Dec. 24, 2024, Parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the Sun, passing deep within the Sun’s corona, just 3.8 million miles above the Sun’s surface and at a top speed of close to 430,000 mph, ushering in a new era of scientific discovery and space exploration.

“This award is a recognition of the unrelenting dedication and hard work of the Parker Solar Probe team. I am so proud of this team and honored to have been a part of it,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By studying the Sun closer than ever before, we continue to advance our understanding of not only our closest star, but also stars across our universe. Parker Solar Probe's historic close approaches to the Sun are a testament to the incredible engineering that made this record-breaking journey possible."

Three novel aerospace technology advancements were critical to enabling this record performance: The first is the Thermal Protection System, or heat shield, that protects the spacecraft and is built to withstand brutal temperatures as high as 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The Thermal Protection System allows Parker’s electronics and instruments to operate close to room temperature. . . .

Now you know. What a remarkable time to be alive -- and gazing up into the clear night skies! Onward.

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