“China said Thursday it’s on track to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 as it introduced the next crew of astronauts who will head to its space station as part of the country’s ambitious plans to be a leader in space exploration. ‘Currently, each program of the research and development work of putting a person on the moon is progressing smoothly,’ said Zhang Jingbo, spokesman for the China Manned Space Program, citing the Long March 10 rocket, moon landing suits and exploration vehicle, as fruitful efforts of that work. ‘Our fixed goal of China landing a person on the moon by 2030 is firm.’ China is also preparing to send up its latest rotation of astronauts who make up part of the ongoing mission to complete the Tiangong space station, part of its broader space exploration plans. Each team stays inside the station for six months, conducting research.” (10/29/25)
“A Senate hearing for President Donald Trump’s surgeon general pick, Dr. Casey Means, has been postponed because she went into labor, a spokesperson for the Senate health committee said Thursday. The news came just hours before the 38-year-old Means, who has been pregnant with her first child, was set to appear virtually with the committee for her confirmation hearing. It was not immediately clear when the hearing would be rescheduled. … Means, a Stanford-educated physician who rose to popularity as a wellness influencer after becoming disillusioned with traditional medicine, was expected to share a vision for ending chronic disease by targeting its root causes, an idea that aligns with the Make America Healthy Again message of her close ally, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” (10/30/25)
“It’s an unprecedented space streak: 25 years of people living off-planet without even a moment’s pause. The International Space Station marks a quarter-century of continuous occupancy this weekend, boasting a guest list of nearly 300 — mostly professional astronauts but also the occasional space tourist and movie director. The first full-time residents opened the hatch on Nov. 2, 2000. With only five years left at the scientific outpost, NASA is counting on private companies to launch their own orbiting stations with an even bigger and wider clientele.” (10/30/25)
“California’s wealthiest residents could face a one-time 5% tax on their net worth under a new proposal aimed at replacing billions of dollars in federal funding cuts to healthcare. The measure (called the ‘2026 Billionaire Tax Act’) seeks to counter $30 billion in potential federal funding cuts to California’s Medicaid program, with a portion of the revenue earmarked for public education, according to supporters, which include the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Proponents of the measure sent a request to the California Attorney General’s Office on Oct. 21 to get approval to begin collecting signatures. Supporters of the measure argue that around 200 billionaires in California hold about $2 trillion in wealth, but the state’s other 19 million taxpayers pay ‘a much larger portion’ of their true income.” (10/30/25)
“The European Central Bank has kept interest rates on hold, as expected, at its latest meeting on Thursday. The central bank held its key deposit facility rate at 2% for the third consecutive time, having last cut rates in June. The trim, which coincided with euro zone inflation hitting the ECB’s target rate of 2%, was part of a rate-cutting cycle that has brought rates down from last year’s record high of 4%. The ECB said in a statement Thursday that ‘inflation remains close to the 2% medium-term target and the Governing Council’s assessment of the inflation outlook is broadly unchanged.'” (10/30/25)
“Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday ordered the armed forces to oppose any Israeli incursions in the country’s south following an Israeli raid that killed a municipal worker. Aoun ordered the army to ‘confront any Israeli incursion into liberated southern territory, in defence of Lebanese territory and the safety of citizens,’ during a meeting with the army chief, according to a statement from the presidency. Despite a November 2024 ceasefire with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Israel maintains troops in five areas in southern Lebanon and has kept up regular air strikes, which have recently intensified.” (10/30/25)
“For those who’ve been looking for a new way to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, political nonprofit the Indivisible Project has some advice: Cancel your Spotify account. The nonprofit organization best known for helping to organize recent No Kings protests across the country released a statement Tuesday announcing a campaign called ‘Don’t Stream Fascism: Cancel Spotify’ in response to the revelations that the music streaming platform has been hosting recruiting ads for ICE on its platform. ‘Spotify is exploiting the work of artists to line their pockets while recruiting for ICE — a secret police force that is terrorizing American communities. Spotify is actively amplifying the Trump regime’s drive to authoritarianism,’ Indivisible wrote in a statement explaining the campaign. SFGATE reported on the ads in mid-October, noting that they promise signing bonuses of up to $50,000 as well as benefits like tuition reimbursement.” (10/30/25)
“Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday his Socialist Party’s financing was completely above board as he faced a Senate commission of inquiry into a corruption scandal dogging his party and threatening his premiership. Senators are probing allegations that high-ranking Socialist officials received kickbacks in exchange for awarding public works contracts, as well as separate investigations involving Sanchez’s wife and brother.” (10/30/25)
“As part of an AI-focused reorganization, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan told employees that it will offer voluntary buyouts, according to an internal company memo. At the same time, he emphasized that there would be no specific role eliminations as part of new structure. … The restructuring is designed to help YouTube focus on fast-growing areas like AI while ‘driving faster decision making and execution,’ the memo states. To that end, the platform is organizing into three separate product organizations: viewer products, creator and community products, and subscription products.” (10/30/25)
“A Swedish appeals court’s decision not to deport a convicted rapist because his assault on a 16-year-old girl was not deemed ‘exceptionally grave’ has ignited outrage, fueling a backlash against Sweden’s justice system. The Court of Appeal for northern Norrland confirmed to Fox News Digital that the defendant, an Eritrean national and illegal immigrant, Yezied Mohamed, was sentenced to three years in prison for raping the 16-year-old girl from the northern town of Skellefteå, on Sept. 1, 2024. The court acknowledged that while the crime was serious, it did not meet the threshold for deportation because of its nature and short duration. The ruling prompted swift condemnation from Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who released a video promising stricter deportation laws.” (10/30/25)
