Category: Uncategorized

[U] NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Is Right Now Outlining Cheaper, And Faster Options — For The Mars Rock Sample Return Mission (2030s)…

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A press conference is underway (audio only) to lay out next steps for the partially privatized return of these Barsoomian rock core samples drilled by Perseverance. [It cannot escape notice that he is prominently mentioning, and explaining the Blue Origin ideas here — and has been utterly mum on any SpaceX stuff. He’s no fan of… the blowhard Musk, I gather.]

Below is a legacy video of what we hope to learn from them.

And the post-conference presser puts it this way:

…To maximize chances of successfully bringing the first Martian rock and sediment samples to Earth for the benefit of humanity, NASA announced Tuesday a new approach to its Mars Sample Return Program. The agency will simultaneously pursue two landing architectures, or strategic plans, during formulation, encouraging competition and innovation, as well as cost and schedule savings.

“Pursuing two potential paths forward will ensure that NASA is able bring these samples back from Mars with significant cost and schedule saving compared to the previous plan,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “These samples have the potential to change the way we understand Mars, our universe, and – ultimately – ourselves. I’d like to thank the team at NASA and the strategic review team, led by Dr. Maria Zuber, for their work….”

This is an extraordinary time to be alive, and witness space science unfurling, in vast puffs, day by day. Onward!

नमस्ते

Wait! WTH?! Aileen Cannon Thinks She… Rules The Universe?!

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The fairly inexperienced Tangerine 1.0 appointee, in Ft. Pierce, Florida… seems to think she can halt BIPARTISAN POLICY decisions of the Congress, sua sponte. [That’s a legacy graphic from Tangerine 1.0, as she’s not worth taking the time to edit any new, or additional… pixels. She will again shortly be… rendered… irrelevant.]

Whatever. These are BIPARTISAN policy decisions about what “we, the people” are entitled to see — as to how our government functions. The fact that it will lay bare all the evidence of Tangerine’s lawless, felonious behavior before and after J6… is exactly what the framers had in mind, in adopting an open Congress, and an open Judiciary.

This will get sorted out. We will see the Jack Smith final report.

If the Eleventh Circuit tries to block it, the Supremes will… release it.

This is core framer-enabled… open government.

“Truck Fump.”

Onward.

France Sees Its First Mpox Clade 1b Case Emerge: Believed Caused By Woman’s Contact With A Traveler Who Was Returning From Western Africa

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Not surprising — but it reaffirms my guess that this Clade 1b outbreak will vex us sporadically, but globe wide, through mid-year 2025, at least.

The virus finds a host from any close contact, and is particularly robust. The index traveler has yet to be identified, but all contacts of the woman have been vaccinated now in Rennes. Here’s the latest, from Reuters reporting:

…The patient had not traveled to Central Africa, where the new form of the virus originated but was in contact with two people who had returned from that region, AFP reported, citing the ministry. Health authorities are investigating the source of the infection and are working to trace all potential contacts, according to AFP.

The patient is a woman and was diagnosed in the northwestern region of Brittany at a hospital in Rennes, French regional newspaper Ouest France reported….

Now you know — and the first fatality from bird flu has been recorded, in that patient in Louisiana we mentioned who had seen it mutate en vivo, during the course of the viral progression.

Separately, we await Friday — with Hizzoner due to another contempt proceeding — this Friday, this time in DC federal court, before the able Judge Beryl Howell. This time the contempt concerns his continued defamation of the two Georgia election workers — not a fight over his (former) property, per se. He could see additional damages imposed — for continuing his libel of the women, to be sure, though.

नमस्ते

Johnson Has A “Sad”, Because He Didn’t Get A Platform… Heh.

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Apparently, yesterday there was a press conference in Minneapolis to announce the federal Justice Department/Minneapolis consent agreement — with the city, that has resulted from then MPD officer Derek Chauvin’s murder of a cuffed, subdued George Floyd, filmed by dozens in broad daylight.

Scott Johnson showed up to ask questions. But his questions were more like manifesto talking points, or political talking points for the hard right, if we are being charitable.

He signed in with other journalists by name, and was recognized by name as affiliated with a hard right/racist blogging site (he had “covered” Chauvin’s murder trial in 2021-22, laden with his own starkly whyte separatist rhetoric — going so far as to source the appeal lawyer for Chauvin, from his roster of “friends” — pro bono — when the disgraced former cop ran out of funds).

As irony would have it, Scott now professes to be incensed that he wasn’t allowed to ask a question from the gallery. Yet for four long years in the rare moments when Tangerine 1.0 would take ANY questions at a press conference, I cannot remember once Scott Johnson’s rising to defend the scads of journalists Trump had blackballed. All considered MSM “lefties” by both Tangerine and Scott and John and Paul.

not even… once. Nope.

So do spare me the “tiny violins” act, Scott.

Out.

YAWN. Meta “Pays Tribute” To Nero — And Hinderaker Thinks It’s A Game Changer?! Hilarious.

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Dana White — as a pure “patronage” offer to Tangerine 2.0… from Zuck… is just one of… what? 13 or 15 seats, on the Meta board of directors!?

But John’s suggests he churlishly now thinks… Tangerine runs the Facebook company’s board?! How preciously… naive, of him.

No John — it is just clear that US business leaders (Cook, at Apple included here) see Trump as a pure graft / bribe seeking a$$hole, and would rather just pay the bridge troll, to keep their businesses running — than fight his stupid executive orders against them, in the courts.

Cowardly?

Sure — I’d buy that critique — but not one of them thinks Trump (or Dana White) has any actual ethical business acumen.

They are all just appeasing Nero — but they see that swaths of Rome will burn — and soon. This way, they can at least summon a fire brigade if/when… Nero begins to burn their own lil’ business stalls just outside… the Colleso.

Out.

Hold The Phone! Mirengoff’s “Fee-Fees” Are Bruised — Because Kamala (Whilst Campaigning) Called Trump A “Fascist”?!

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Holy crap.

Mirengoff tonight admits that his guy, Tangerine 1.0, at the end — caused the death of Mike Pence’s career, in the GOP — because Pence would NOT commit felonies for Trump (and deny the 2020 election results). Then a felony murder occurred inside the Capitol, and several dozen law enforcement officers were injured, some severely beaten. One had a heart attack, as well — from the stress.

All of this was Tangerine’s doing.

Then Tangerine was indicted on 93 felonies, in four courts around the East Coast. He was convicted on 34 of those felonies, by a jury of his peers. He lost a liability verdict by defaming a woman he forcibly sexually assaulted, and then denied it happened (also in New York).

AFTER ALL THIS — Paul Mirengoff whines and belches… because Kamala Harris called the thing by its name?!

Wow. “Irony. That’s for me!”

She handed over power with grace and aplomb this morning. She is indeed a class act.

And so… all of Paul’s bleatings are… BS. Complete BS.

Out.

Rudy Giuliani Effectively Loses Florida Homestead Claim, And His Grandfather’s Watch: Judge Liman @ 3:00 PM EST Today.

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The first part of the able USDC Judge Liman’s orders are in.

Hizzoner has been hit with civil sanctions on Interrogatory Nos. 4 and 8 — including an “adverse inference” that he was not completely candid, and truthful, in discovery — meaning that he won’t be able to benefit from providing late documents or showings. He has effectively lost the Florida homestead claim, and any claim to the assets he’s previously refused to deliver.

…Judge Liman: Plaintiffs have moved for sanctions against defendant. The motion is granted… The Court found that the defendant’s objections were meritless. He was ordered to answer by December 20. Defendant violated the order….

The court takes judicial notice that the defendant was until recently a barred attorney, and has committed discovery violations in the past. He has lost on both procedural and substantive questions. It was not even close. He violated the court’s order….

Defendant could have asked for a confidentiality order but didn’t. He has offered a series of shifting meritless objections. The Court concludes that defendant has been attempting to run the clock. The objections were pretextual….

The inference is that the location and any changing of advisers would not support the Defendant’s homestead argument. Even without these sanctions, the trier of fact could draw a permissive adverse inference….

The Court also finds Mr. Giuliani in contempt. There was no substantial compliance. He has not produced a single email responsive to the [production orders]. He had the emails going to his travel but he failed to produce them….

Onward, grinning.

नमस्ते

[U, X7: Rulings Expected @ 2:55 pm Eastern!] The “Dumb And Dumber” Show Continues In Manhattan USDC, With Hizzoner In The Leading Role… Yikes!

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This will be a thread of live-tweeted questions and answers, under oath, of Mr. Giuliani — most minutes after they are asked and answered, before USDC Judge Liman, in the ongoing contempt hearing — in Courtroom 15C, at Foley Square. [I’ll likely leave them here, without additional comment, as USDC Judge Liman is doing an excellent job of explaining why they are important.]

Rudy’s lawyer (primarily a divorce and PI guy) keeps asking Rudy questions that would cause him (if he answers truthfully) to waive his attorney client privilege (on lots of matters, and might implicate the crime / fraud doctrine of waiver). Judge Liman has now warned him three times that if he asks another such question, the Judge will allow Willkie Farr lawyers (for the plaintiff-election workers) to ask questions about the advice of Rudy’s former lawyer, Caruso.

This is now a textbook case of how NOT to conduct direct examination in a federal contempt hearing, for failure to comply with discovery orders. Damn:

…Inner City Press

@innercitypress

Cammarata: Mayor Giuliani, did you make any efforts to comply with court orders?

Giuliani: To the best of my ability, yes.

Cammarata: Can you explain if you violated any court orders?

Giuliani: Some of these interrogatories were traps, so I was wary of them.

Cammarata: Did anyone tell you to ignore court orders?

Plaintiffs’ lawyer Larsen: Objection!

Judge Liman: If you ask that, I’m going to allow inquiry into his communications with lawyers….
10:52 AM EST · Jan 6, 2025….

Cammarata: To the extent you may not have complied, why?

Giuliani: As you know I do not trust the plaintiffs, for example asking for all lawyers I spoke to. I have a principled objection. Some documents I can find, using my prior experience. We can supply them….

Cammarata: When did you start relying on others to answer things?

Giulani: When I was assistant to Judge Tyler at the Justice Department. Then as US Attorney, Mayor, then running the second highest security business in the world. I relied on my staff….

Larsen: What about your Proton mail account?

Giuliani: I removed those, except Trump.

Giuliani: I kept the proton emails about the Trump cases.

Larsen: Why did you choose Protonmail?

Giuliani: After the FBI seized my other account and I found they were surveilling my iCloud account as soon as I represented Donald J. Trump.

Larsen: Did you preserve those emails?

Giuliani: I don’t know. I set it up fast after the FBI raid.

Judge Liman: When was that?

Giuliani: April of 2022.

Larsen: Do you use a computer?

Giuliani: I don’t. Except to do our live cast. I use an iPhone and an iPad.

Larsen: Can you receive instant messages [sic] on X?

Giuliani: I only use it for the show.

Larsen: Do you use text messages?

Giuliani: Two to 15 times a day.

Larsen: Do you get them on your iPad?

Giuliani: I’m not sure….

[Update No. 4] Larsen: So your answer on messaging was untrue?

Giuliani: I thought it only meant private messaging. I only use Truth to promote the show. People respond, it’s all public. I don’t do individual messaging through social media.

Larsen: Let me show you these emails….

Cammarata: I object as beyond the scope.

Judge Liman: Overruled. He gave a wide scope of testimony.

Larsen: You did not produce this email?

Giuliani: I may [not] have.

[Email from Maria Ryan to Heath Berger, about use of credit cards….]

Larsen: What about this email?

Giuliani: I was going to cover the eclipse in New Hampshire for my show America’s Mayor Live – which I did, for two days.

Larsen: But you didn’t produce this email, based on your own claims of privilege?

Giuliani: Yes… [Now, breaking — for lunch, in Manhattan].

[After lunch; Update No. 5 — πs’ lawyers are asking that, as part of contempt, Judge Liman draw adverse inferences (that Rudy was lying, and being evasive) about homestead matter, in Florida, because he knew he’d lose — on completely truthful answers.]

Judge Liman: You’re asking me to draw an inference on an ultimate question in the homestead case, that none of the doctors were in the Florida area?
Nathan: You can draw inferences from the defendant’s refusal to provide discovery information. Rule 37 allows it….

Nathan: On Interrogatory 8, Mr. Giuliani has admitted to accounts he did not tell us about… He took no steps to produce any of his email. That’s enough to grant us relief. The Caruso declaration is just the icing on the cake. We can be granted relief without it, actually….

Nathan: This comes down to the principle that a party cannot benefit from not complying with court orders. Specific deterrence may be a lost cause with this defendant, but general deterrence is important….

[Update @ 11:15 AM EST] USDC Judge Liman just asked Cammarata to “move it along”. He’s apparently thumbing through papers, and taking minutes between each question — and the able USDC Judge is growing impatient.

[Update No. 3] In any event, soon enough comes the cross examination by the plaintiffs’ lawyers is now underway, when all the truths will out.

Rudy is setting himself up for a complete loss here — if not a few nights in jail, for contempt. Wow.

Update No. 6: Rudy’s lawyer just told the judge that because Willkie Farr is handling the matter pro bono, Rudy’s lies and evasions have “caused no harm”. By this, I take it he means that the plaintiffs have not had to pay their lawyers MORE — out of pocket — to run Hizzoner’s duplicity to ground. Poppy-cock. The harm is also to the overburdening a federal court with two days of completely wasteful, meandering and convoluted proceedings — obviated, if Rudy had just obeyed the law and federal civ. pro. rules.

He may not get jail, but Rudy has lost his claim to keep a “Florida homestead” now. He’s… toast, in Condor’s experienced opinion.

Rudy also showed his grandfather’s gold watch in court today, having previously claimed he didn’t obey the court’s order because he didn’t want that watch “lost”. That watch is now — and (since October 2024 at least) has been — the sole property of the πs, here. D A M N.

It is manifestly not for him to decide which watches he will surrender, and I expect Judge Liman will forcefully make this point in his orders, shortly. Ole’ Giuliani thinks (like Tangerine) that he is above the law. That must end, and end now. Out.

नमस्ते

Merck To Buy WuXi Bio-Facility In Dundalk, Ireland For Roughly $500 Million, Due To US BioSecure Act: Reuters

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Back in September of 2024, the US passed a package of legislation to increase the security of US patient data and health records, by restricting certain state-affiliated Chinese and other entities from receiving sensitive US governmental biological manufacturing contracts. That pending law is called the US BioSecure Act.

The other shoe has now fallen, on this — in Ireland — just a bit south of Belfast, as a Chinese entity called WuXi Biologics must now divest its bio-manufacturing campus to US based Merck, in order for its equity investors to ever see any return on their investments.

[Earlier in November of 2024, Oxford Genetics acquired the UK based business assets of WuXi.] Merck will certainly be able to put this live vaccine facility to good use, and the $500 million price tag for a shiny new plant is… bargain basement. So — good news for US patients, and for Rahway. Here’s an earlier (pre-Christmas) bit on it all, from Reuters:

…The U.S. House of Representatives had passed a bill in September which would prohibit federal contracts with targeted firms and those that do business with them.

The bills are designed to keep Americans’ personal health and genetic information from foreign adversaries and aim to push U.S. pharmaceutical and biotech companies to lessen their reliance on China for everything from drug ingredient manufacturing to early research….

[Separately,] WuXi said it would… sell Oxford Genetics, the UK-based operating entity of the WuXi ATU business to Altaris LLC.
Altaris declined to comment beyond the given details while WuXi AppTec did not respond to a Reuters request for comment….

Now you know — as the Giuliani grilling is now underway in Manhattan. More soon!

नमस्ते

Texas Gov. Abbott — Again, Clueless And Feckless: On Passing Of Former Pres. Jimmy Carter.

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This may be smallish, when compared to his intentional actions against women’s bodily autonomy, and his savage razor wire floating barriers, and his endless stream of defiance of plainly Constitutional federal mandates for all citizens of his state… but it (at least) certainly speaks to the low quality of help he attracts in his state’s gubernatorial offices.

Apparently Greg Abbott sent out a press release without reading it. It seems he offered condolences on the passing of the great Mr. Carter to his wife of many decades, Rosalynn — a former first lady, and gracious southern woman. The problem is that she herself had passed away in 2023. Thus far, his offices have not apologized, or corrected the record for this callously idiotic error. Here’s Snopes on it:

…A statement issued by the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, marked the Dec. 29, 2024, death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and mistakenly extended condolences to former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died in 2023….

Onward, now — to the continued grilling (like a hot tuna!), of one Rudolph W. Giuliani, in Manhattan. Grin.

नमस्ते