June 30, 2021

Meanwhile while we throw sticks and stones at each other

Gigantic Antarctic Lake Suddenly Disappears in Monumental Vanishing Act



In a new study, satellite observations reveal one such stunning phenomenon: The sudden disappearance of a gigantic lake in Antarctica, which abruptly vanished from view during winter 2019.
This was no small body of water, researchers report, with estimates the lake on Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica held some 600–750 million cubic meters (21–26 billion cubic feet) of water: more than all the water in Sydney Harbor, or roughly twice the volume of San Diego Bay.
Of course, that much water doesn't simply disappear into thin air. In this case, scientists say the huge reservoir most likely became too much for the ice layer underneath struggling to support it

https://www.sciencealert.com/gigantic-antarctic-lake-suddenly-disappears-in-monumental-vanishing-act

June 27, 2021

Mega comet' 60 miles wide is about to fly through the solar system

Mega comet’ 60 miles wide is about to fly through the solar system

A comet unlike any other in recorded history is on a trajectory to zip through the inner solar system in less than a decade, but like most space rocks that make the news, it isn’t anything to lose sleep over.

Comet 2014 UN271 was observed during a mission called the Dark Energy Survey back in 2014, but skywatchers didn’t realize that the data gathered was showing a comet until mid-June of this year.

This discovery could be one for the record books, leading some to call it a “mega comet.” It is estimated to be between 60 and 230 miles wide, which could make it the largest comet ever discovered, EarthSky said.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/comet-60-miles-wide-january-2031/969304

June 19, 2021

Court sets Smartmatic dismissal date on Giuliani, Bartiromo, others

Court sets Smartmatic dismissal date on Giuliani, Bartiromo, others

A date has been set for oral arguments over the dismissal motions of Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, Maria Bartiromo, Sidney Powell, Lou Dobbs and Jeanine Pirro in the $2.7-billion Smartmatic defamation case about 2020 presidential election conspiracy theories.

Judge David B. Cohen of the New York State Supreme Court for the County of New York will hear the arguments on Aug. 17 starting at 9:30 a.m. from attorneys for those seeking to dismiss the case.

Lack of malice is also one of Giuliani's arguments for dismissal, and Powell has argued, in part, that the court has no jurisdiction over her.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/559190-court-sets-smartmatic-dismissal-date-on-giuliani-bartiromo-others

June 14, 2021

Judge grants DOJ's request to temporarily block release of Trump obstruction memo

A federal judge on Monday granted the Justice Department's request to temporarily block the release of an internal legal memo prepared in response to the Mueller report in 2019.

District Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed to stay her order for the document's release while the Biden administration appeals.

Snip

Jackson said in a nine-page decision that while she still disagrees with the Justice Department's arguments against the memo's release, she believes that it shouldn't be prematurely unredacted before the department has an opportunity to make its case to an appeals court.

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/558317-federal-judge-grants-dojs-request-to-block-release-of-trump

June 9, 2021

Bipartisan Senate group rules out tax hikes on infrastructure

Bipartisan Senate group rules out tax hikes on infrastructure

A bipartisan Senate group is taking tax increases off the table as lawmakers try to craft an infrastructure proposal after GOP talks with the White House collapsed Tuesday.

Raising taxes on high-income earners and corporations has been a key part of President Biden's infrastructure plan, making it nearly impossible to garner enough GOP support for legislation that can clear the Senate.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who is in the bipartisan group, said tax increases are not under consideration as senators attempt to reach consensus on how to pay for their plan.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/557557-bipartisan-group-rules-out-tax-hikes-on-infrastructure