“We now have shots of the Athena moon lander’s final resting place. Athena, the second lunar lander from Houston company Intuitive Machines, tipped over during its touchdown on March 6, ending up on its side within a small crater near the moon’s south pole. This orientation prevented the lander’s solar panels from capturing enough sunlight, and Intuitive Machines declared Athena dead on March 7. Athena beamed home a few shots of its surroundings before giving up the ghost. And we now have views of the lander and its crater grave from on high, courtesy of NASA’s sharp-eyed Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).” (03/13/25)
“Trump was handed a great economy, ‘The Envy of the World,’ according to financial media. His trade war, lack of coherent economic policy and perhaps low interest in governing when cameras aren’t present have investors close to panic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost more than 2,000 points since Election Day. Consumer confidence just scored its largest decline since August 2021. Americans are falling behind on car payments at the highest rate in more than 30 years. Inflation and employment numbers have gone wobbly, and the U.S. dollar is losing value. (By the way, the Russian stock market is doing splendidly as are the European bourses.)” (03/13/25)
“The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said on Thursday he would vote for a Republican-written bill to fund federal agencies through September and avert a government shutdown. Schumer’s comments suggest that his members are prepared to provide the necessary votes to clear a procedural hurdle ahead, allowing the seven-month spending measure to advance to a final vote.” ()3/13/25)
“Australia has taken a drastic step, passing a law (and apparently enforcing it) to prevent people under age 16 from using social media. Now, even more are arguing that DC needs to also enact such a law. For the entire Fifty States and territories. Not much has been published about this in the past six or so weeks, or since the new regime started taking over DC. But it has been reported that twelve States so far have restricted teen access to social media and many more have seen legislation introduced to do so. Three States’ legislation have been blocked by courts. The most recent (reported on WTVR-TV) is Virginia, where lawmakers have passed a bill limiting social media use for those under age 16.” (03/13/25)
“U.S. authorities [stole] approximately 749 Bitcoin, valued at $62.5 million, tied to a Silk Road drug trafficking and money laundering operations, according to a March 12, 2025, Forbes report. The [theft], ordered by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, targeted assets connected to two unnamed individuals: a former Silk Road drug vendor and an accomplice who laundered proceeds through cryptocurrency exchanges. Alongside bitcoin, Forbes reported that authorities [stole] hundreds of thousands in foreign currencies, gold coins, and bars.” (03/13/25)
“We suggest that without the preceding increases in money supply, all other things being equal, there cannot be general increase in prices, which is labelled by popular thinking as inflation.” (03/13/25)
