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Second High Tech, High Altitude [@ ~120,000 Feet!] Balloon Launches From McMurdo Station, Antarctica…

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This is the BIG Chill — with daily highs around minus 20 (and nightly lows around minus 50). But it is the coolest of ballooning, too!

We mentioned the first launch a few weeks ago — and this is the second, and final one — for 2025:

…The second scientific balloon flight for NASA’s Antarctic scientific balloon campaign has reached its float altitude of 120,000 feet after lifting off from the agency’s facility located near the U.S. National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf at 5:56 a.m. NZST, Saturday, Dec. 20 (11:56 a.m., Friday, Dec. 19 in U.S. Eastern Time).

The balloon is carrying NASA’s Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) mission, designed to detect radio signals created when neutrinos from space hit ice. Neutrinos are highly energetic particles. The PUEO payload will collect data that give us insight into events like the creation of black holes and neutron star mergers. This is NASA’s first balloon mission to launch through the agency’s Astrophysics Pioneers program, which supports compelling astrophysics science at a lower cost. . . .

Now you know — with the last of my grown kids. . . in to the Saguaro cacti — by this evening! Woot!

नमस्ते

And, At Year End 2025: The WHO Situation Report, On The Global State Of The Mpox Outbreak, Over The Past Two-Plus Years…

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Again — power alley stuff. Do click on the 1.4 Mb PDF if this is of interest.

But we will increasingly rely on global-, and private- institution sources, for more reliable info, free of non-sense political bias — at CDC and NIH, imposed from above, in DC. Here’s the latest:

…This is the 61th situation report for the multi-country outbreak of mpox, which provides details on the global epidemiological situation for mpox, including an update on the epidemiological situation with data on the global situation as of 30 November 2025, in Africa as of 14 December and the operational response updates as of 17 December 2025. . . .

In November 2025, 48 countries across all WHO regions reported a total of 2150 new confirmed mpox cases, including five deaths (case fatality ratio [CFR] 0.2%). About 68% of these cases were reported in the African Region. Four regions observed a decline in confirmed cases in November, compared to October 2025, while the European and Western Pacific regions reported more cases than the previous month…. Romania reported its first case, as well.

Nineteen countries in Africa reported active transmission of mpox in the last six weeks (2 November– 14 December 2025), with 1435 confirmed cases, including seven deaths (CFR 0.5%). Countries reporting the highest number of cases in this period are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Kenya and Ghana; while case reports in Liberia still show indications of a rise, weekly case counts in the other countries have been declining in recent weeks….

We will collectively need to work harder, in part to combat mis-information out of the RFK Jr. controlled Beltway. Ugh.

नमस्ते

A Time For Choosing: MAGA Implodes In The Process. Vance Will NOT Denounce Racists.

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As their excellent timing would have it, some of my best commenters have been discussing the open lie that people like JD Vance tell repeatedly in their stump speeches. As this comment notes, our founders intended that this nation’s governance be quintessentially non-religious. That is, our government is to be a civil government only. It was in our earliest treaties, and very well expressed.

But the lying opportunist JD Vance repeatedly tells the story that America was founded as a Christian only nation. Nothing could be further from the truth. But he believes that is his ticket to a 2028 seat at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I disagree. I think Americans are smarter than that. And those who are not, they will oppose his wife vehemently. The irony is almost too delicious.

In any event, here is the latest — on the fracturing of the hateful right:

…Last week, Ben Shapiro, a conservative commentator, warned that the “conservative movement was in serious danger” by those willing to amplify conspiracies, including Candace Owens, the podcaster widely accused of antisemitism. She has also spread unfounded theories about Mr. Kirk’s death.

Mr. Shapiro’s warning also targeted Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host who recently held a softball interview with Nick Fuentes, a Holocaust denier and avowed antisemite. Mr. Carlson later accused Mr. Shapiro of trying to censor him.

On Friday, Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian American who is running for governor of Ohio as a Republican, also criticized a faction of the party. He went after those who have embraced the idea that so-called “heritage Americans” — a predominantly white group whose families have been in the country for multiple generations — have a greater cliaim to the nation than more recent arrivals….

The MAGA people, almost to a person embrace open racism, bigotry, sexism and Antisemitism — in almost every one of their supposed policy views.

So then, let this be their enduring karma: they will never win another national election. The rest of us Americans are well past these odious 18th and 19th century views. And our votes will reflect that. Onward, resolutely.

नमस्ते

Power Alley: Moderna Continues Its Climb, Back Toward Its True Fair Value.

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Well, for the last few years, I have been — from time to time — noting that Moderna is undervalued relative to the portfolio of biopharm intellectual property it holds.

It also sells quite a bit of a series of much needed vaccines. So it generates very significant revenue. Little by little — despite Tangerine 2.0 nonsense, the stock analysts and the market broadly, are beginning to appropriately value this fine company. [To be fair, I still believe it should be trading around $80 a share, and it is a little under half of that right now.] Here’s the latest:

…Moderna jumped 7.8% in the afternoon session after the stock’s positive momentum continued as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced it would invest up to $54.3 million to support a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for the company’s investigational mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine candidate, mRNA-1018.

This late-stage study would be the first of its kind for an mRNA-based vaccine targeting pandemic influenza, aiming to advance the candidate toward licensure. The funding was seen as a significant step forward for the program, which had faced uncertainty. Earlier in the year, the U.S. government had cut federal funding for the vaccine candidate. The fresh capital from the global partnership provides a new opportunity for Moderna’s bird flu vaccine, allowing the company to proceed with the crucial final stage of testing before potential approval….

Now you know… onward, grinning — 80° here as a high today.

नमस्ते

Noem And Rubio Should Clearly Be Sanctioned — For False, Extra-Judicial Statements To The Press, At Press Conferences, Related To Abrego Garcia.

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But perhaps the simplest answer will be… for the able USDC Judge Waverly Crenshaw to just promptly dismiss the entire felony case, down in Nashville — and recite this lawlessness, as the animating cause. He plainly possesses that power.

In any event, the Noemites have a week — with a holiday in between — until next Monday, to answer. Here’s the latest:

…ORDER as to Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia:

Before the Court is Defendant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia’s (“Abrego”) Motion for Sanctions for Government’s Violation of the Court’s Order on Extrajudicial Statements (Doc. No. [271]).

The government shall respond to Abrego’s Motion (Doc. No. [271]) by Monday, 12/29/2025. Abrego may file an optional reply by Wednesday, 12/31/2025.

Signed by District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr on 12/22/2025….

Onward, resolutely.

नमस्ते

Y A W N [Squared].

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Clearly, Hinderaker doesn’t know what he’s talking about, here.

But the rest of us do: Trump is a very poor con man. He again offers… nothing new, or meaningful.

Yeah. A nothing burger, on a Friday night news hole (now updated on Sunday, 12.21.25). Again.

Most people in the lowest quintile by annual income in the US (and mostly on Medicaid) already pay less than $10 per month out of pocket, for almost all these meds. Tangerine 2.0 is simply 100% a lying propaganda showman, now:

…[M]ost Americans won’t see changes to their out-of-pocket costs resulting from the deals. In some cases, they could end up paying more if they use their own money to go through TrumpRx when they could have paid less by relying on insurance…

As he has done while announcing the other drug pricing deals, Mr. Trump on Friday made claims about impossible price decreases of up to 800 percent. At another point, he boasted: “This represents the greatest victory for patient affordability in the history of American health care by far….”

Now you know. He’s not even capable of telling plausible lies any longer. Out.

नमस्ते

To Be Clear: USDC Judge Ellis Is A Very Fine Judge — And She Will Likely Unseal Bovino’s Nonsense Here. She Just Needed A Formal Motion, To Be Able To So Order It.

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And indeed — because several of our erstwhile commenters have expressed interest in keeping abreast of the applicable press access / First Amendment law here, we offer the motion essentially in its entirety, in blue below. [These legal precepts appear in every one of the ten federal districts, but are often articulated under other case names.]

But all of them — nationwide — point back, to the Nixon era — and the so-called “Pentagon Papers case”, decided by the Supremes, in 1971. That is the modern touchstone.

So, without any additional ado — here is tonight’s motion from the local Chicago papers (acting in unison, as partners, to defend freedom), to seek to find out precisely what Byers swore to, under oath — in a sealed proceeding, on October 20 of this year, in Chicago — in connection with the now ruled to be lawless Operation Midway Blitz, led on the ground by Bovino — and ordered ultimately, by Kristi Noem:

…On October 20, 2025, ICE Deputy Field Office Director Shawn Byers, was set to testify in this case. Oct. 20, 2025 Tr. at 50:16-19. Prior to the start of his testimony, Defendants requested “a brief bench conference about something that [it would] like to discuss kind of with the Court before the next witness.” Oct. 20, 2025 Tr. 50:16-18.

The Court then cleared the Courtroom and the transcript at this point indicates that sealed proceedings were heard at sidebar. Oct. 20, 2025, Tr. 51:16.

The ensuing proceeding lasted approximately 30 minutes. During this time, reporters and members of the public were instructed to wait outside the courtroom. Once the hearing was re-opened, Mr. Byers began his testimony. Oct. 20, 2025, Tr. 61:8. As a result, the publicly-available transcript of this hearing contains approximately nine pages of redactions….

On November 11, 2025, Plaintiffs moved to unseal the October 20, 2025 transcript arguing that they “contend in this case that the government has invented false pretexts to justify its actions,” and that Defendants’ desire to keep the transcript sealed “prevents the public from learning about false representations that Defendants have made to this court.” Dkt. No. 183 at 2. Defendants did not respond to Plaintiffs’ motion and the court has not ruled on it.

Media Intervenors echo Plaintiffs’ concerns about the need for transparency in a case where the government has been accused of making false representations to the Court about its actions during Operation Midway Blitz.

There is a constitutional and common law presumption of access to court proceedings that can only be overcome by a showing that there is a compelling interest supporting closure and closure has been narrowly tailored to serve that interest. In re AP, 162 F.3d 503, 506 (7th Cir. 1998). If an overriding government interest is found, the court must provide a clear explanation of its reason for sealing on the record….

The public has a right to access court records, and that right is especially strong when the record informs a judicial decision. Union Oil Co. v. Leavell, 220 F.3d 562, 568 (7th Cir. 2000). This is because “[a]ny step that withdraws an element of the judicial process from public view makes the ensuing decision look more like a fiat, which requires compelling justification….”

“Secrecy in judicial proceedings is disfavored, as it makes it difficult for the public… to understand why a case was brought (and fought) and what exactly was at stake in it and was the outcome proper….”

WHEREFORE, Chicago Public Media, Inc., Chicago Sun-Times Media, Inc., and ChicagoTribune Company, LLC move this Court to unseal the entirety of the October 20, 2025 hearing transcript. Dated: December 19, 2025….

Now you know — and do be excellent to one another, now and always — namaste.

नमस्ते

Dumbest Hot Take On Latest (Dour) US Jobs Data — Ever?!

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Hinderaker simply dittos some of the dumbest economic writing put out in the last half century. He does so solely because it seeks to glorify Trump.

In this particularly preposterous segment, some would be MAGA-economist (hey! isn’t that… an oxymoron of some stripe?!) argues that the job numbers aren’t bad.

They’re actually good, he claims. He says they’re good because there were nearly 200,000 people laid off, from federal government jobs / steadily employed largely high wage workers.

So (they say!) when you just “forget about those 200,000 to 300,000 layoffs,” the nation actually saw a net gain of about 121,000 jobs. WTH?!

Obviously, that is monumentally… stupid.

What makes him think that people who worked for the federal government will stop eating, will stop consuming healthcare, will not seek public assistance — if they cannot find paying jobs?

The whole point here is they are all US citizens, and unlike the other claptrap that he offers (about many other unemployed people falsely voluntarily self-deporting…) In other words, they just “walked home” is his theory — to some other country. WTH?

Even then, it is silly — because the job number measures the strength of the US economy to create gainful employment at living wages, so that people will not need public assistance.

Damn. The stoopid — it burns.

John and his moronic copywriter try to convince their ever more moronic readers… that getting rid of 300,000 workers is a sign of strength in the economy.

They don’t even try to make any economic argument that would make sense. They just say… “don’t look… over there.”

Here is the nutty flavor of his particularly peculiar fudge:

…But control for Federal layoffs and we gained 121,000.

Control for deportations and we gained 300,000…

Yeh — this is the stuff of rainbow unicorns, John — yet he says this will mean we need to “look more closely” at future dour jobs data.

I guess he thinks his taxes will cover all these newly added folks — now onto the public dole. What a moron.

Two Very Large Long Term Wall Street Analysts Now Agree: The Merck “Patent Cliff (In 2028)” Narrative Was Mostly Fear / Hype. 12 Mo. Target? $130, On NYSE.

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Well… it is good to see that the high priced young MBAs on Wall & Broad are finally listening to the patent law experts: Merck will not have a crater event, in 2028 related to the pembrolizumab patents. As we’ve long said, the twice a year subcutaneous / injection version will. . . role out and extend through the mid-2030s minimum.

So now BMO has made Merck an “out-perform” in the pharma sector — and raised its 12 month price target on the name… to $130. That’s about a 30% forecasted return/gain, in a year. Sweet. BMO is right:

…[Merck was] upgraded by analysts at BMO Capital Markets from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $130.00 price objective on the stock, up from their previous price objective of $82.00. BMO Capital Markets’ target price suggests a potential upside of 31.07% from the company’s current price….

[And last week, on] December 12, Morgan Stanley lifted its price target on Merck. . . to $102.. The firm kept an Equal Weight rating on the stock. In its 2026 outlook for the biopharma space, the firm said many of the policy concerns that weighed on the sector this year are likely to fade, allowing investors to shift their attention back to company fundamentals….

Now you know. Onward. As we long said — the cliff was always really just a… speed bump. Out.

नमस्ते

Friday Fun: 3I/ATLAS Made Its “Closest” Pass, By Earth (@ ~168 Million Miles Off) At About 1 AM EST This Morning — Now Headed Off, Eventually, For Interstellar Sapce…

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We bid this lil’ visitor adieu, though several Earth based telescopes hope to host “live streams” later tonight, since the skies last night over Hawaii were under cloud cover. The island’s telescope will still get good eyes on it, weather permitting, tonight.

And so now we will await the download of the JWST imagery, which should come in a few weeks, and should definitively put to bed Harvard’s Prof. Avi Loeb’s oddball theory — no, this was no spaceship. No intelligent design in evidence. It was a simple comet of interstellar origin, traveling for billions of years at this point — but now on zipping onward, on its entirely natural (gravity influenced) trek through the Milky Way.

Like the speedy visitor of 2017, called Oumuamua — this one has captured the imagination of many an amateur backyard telescope enthusiast. Here’s the latest, as we get packed for the upcoming meteor shower we will witness with our own backyard ‘scope, in Arizona by tomorrow night:

…Our interstellar visitor has officially passed its closest approach to Earth and is now heading back out toward the outer solar system — and eventually beyond.

On Dec. 19, comet 3I/ATLAS came within about 168 million miles of our planet, giving scientists a rare chance to study material from beyond our solar system before it begins its long journey back into the Milky Way….

That upcoming one is called the “Ursid” meteor shower, and it will peak on the night of December 22, 2025, among the cacti. Yep — we will report, and for the first time, try to capture some “uploadable quality” photos, through the ‘scope then. Grin.

नमस्ते