U.S.
Elon Musk and Others Respond to Bezos’ Space Plans
Published
3 years agoon

- Jeff Bezos announced Thursday that he plans to bring humans to the moon by 2024.
- Bezos also unveiled a lunar lander called Blue Moon, made by his company Blue Origin.
- Many have expressed mixed feelings about Bezos’ plan, including Elon Musk, who made a meme teasing the Blue Moon.
Bezos Announces Blue Origin Project
Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos announced his plans to send humans to the moon by 2024, a plan that was criticized by many including fellow-billionaire Elon Musk.
On Thursday, Bezos introduced the world to Blue Moon, the first lunar lander by his space company Blue Origin. He said that the vehicle can carry 3.6 metric tons to the moon’s surface. A stretch tank version could take over six tons. His goal is to establish a human presence on the moon.
“We were given a gift — this nearby body called the moon,” Bezos said during his presentation. “It’s time to go back to the moon and this time stay.”
The tech giant brought up Vice President Mike Pence’s goal of getting back to the moon by 2024.
“I love this, it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “We can help meet that timeline, but only because we started three years ago.”
The craft is designed to take payloads of infrastructure like tools, rovers, and other equipment to the moon. People would come after.
His long-term goal is to build self-sustaining colonies, though he acknowledges that this is a project that would likely be left up to future generations. His motivation for putting life on the moon is to help Earth. He believes that by spreading the population to areas with new resources, we can save the resources on our planet.

Musk and Others Criticize Plan
Establishing human presence on the moon in five years sounded like an ambitious plan to some who watched, eliciting a variety of reactions. Notably, Tesla and SpaceX mogul Elon Musk responded on Twitter, making a meme out of Bezos’ project. In it, he posted a modified photo where the lunar launcher was called “Blue Balls.”
Oh stop teasing, Jeff 😉 pic.twitter.com/wuWPENcSE1
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 10, 2019
Musk’s SpaceX is a rival company to Blue Origin. Last year, Musk accused Bezos of copying his plan for getting satellites into space. Despite the history of making jabs at Blue Origin, he also said that “competition is good.”
Competition is good. Results in a better outcome for all.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 10, 2019
But Musk was not the only person who saw Bezos’ major announcement as worthy of criticism. Many were upset that Bezos did not have a public live stream of his presentation and instead waited to share the video of the announcement until later.
Musk often does live streams of critical company news, prompting many others to ask why Bozes did not follow suit.
When @ElonMusk started launching things for @SpaceX he did it live for all to see – even when things kept blowing up. We watched right over his shoulder.
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) May 9, 2019
Alas @JeffBezos won't even livestream a simple powerpoint presentation from a @BlueOrigin media event. pic.twitter.com/XrVaqPxqHM
Others, like journalist Dave Levitan, thought that Bezos has enough problems with Amazon, and should focus on that instead of working on something so expansive and new.
A weird thing about all the billionaires with HG Wells space dreams is that they’re missing this obvious opportunity to be revered on THIS planet for literally helping save it. Like, Jeff, my good dude, spend $50 billion on solar panels, see how public opinion swings your way!
— Dave Levitan (@davelevitan) May 10, 2019
Support for Blue Moon
Meanwhile, others came to Bezos’ defense, applauding what this project could mean for the future. Everyday Astronaut, which is a YouTube channel devoted to space education, said people should “get excited.”
To all of you who are critiquing, criticizing or negative about @blueorigin’s awesome announcement, you sound exactly like all those who said @SpaceX would never land a booster. Get excited people, there’s a lot of actual engineering and hardware done here folks.
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) May 9, 2019
Dava Newman, an Apollo Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusettes Institute of Technology, received a tour of the Blue Moon and shared her excitement on Twitter.
Going back to the moon for sure! #BlueMoon @blueorigin getting an awesome tour from @JeffBezos. @mit we’re in! pic.twitter.com/WIq8onqxYw
— Dava Newman (@DavaExplorer) May 9, 2019
See what others are saying: (CNBC) (Gizmodo) (Inc.)
U.S.
Lincoln College to Close for Good After COVID and Ransomware Attack Ruin Finances
Published
2 weeks agoon
May 10, 2022By
Chris Tolve
Last year, 1,043 schools in the U.S. were the victim of ransomware attacks, including 26 colleges or universities, according to an analysis by Emsisoft.
One of the Only Historically Black Colleges in the Midwest Goes Down
After 157 years of educating mostly Black students in Illinois, Lincoln College will close its doors for good on Friday.
The college made the announcement last month, citing financial troubles caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a ransomware attack in December.
Enrollment dropped during the pandemic and the administration had to make costly investments in technology and campus safety measures, according to a statement from the school.
A shrinking endowment put additional pressure on the college’s budget.
The ransomware attack, which the college has said originated from Iran, thwarted admissions activities and hindered access to all institutional data. Systems for recruitment, retention, and fundraising were completely inoperable at a time when the administration needed them most.
In March, the college paid the ransom, which it has said amounted to less than $100,000. But according to Lincoln’s statement, subsequent projections showed enrollment shortfalls so significant the college would need a transformational donation or partnership to make it beyond the present semester.
The college put out a request for $50 million in a last-ditch effort to save itself, but no one came forward to provide it.
A GoFundMe aiming to raise $20 million for the college only collected $2,452 as of Tuesday.
Students and Employees Give a Bittersweet Goodbye
“The loss of history, careers, and a community of students and alumni is immense,” David Gerlach, the college’s president, said in a statement.
Lincoln counts nearly 1,000 enrolled students, and those who did not graduate this spring will leave the institution without degrees.
Gerlach has said that 22 colleges have worked with Lincoln to accept the remaining students, including their credits, tuition prices, and residency requirements.
“I was shocked and saddened by that news because of me being a freshman, so now I have to find someplace for me to go,” one student told WMBD News after the closure was announced.
When a group of students confronted Gerlach at his office about the closure, he responded with an emotional speech.
“I have been fighting hard to save this place,” he said. “But resources are resources. We’ve done everything we possibly could.”
On April 30, alumni were invited back to the campus to revisit the highlights of their college years before the institution closed.
On Saturday, the college held its final graduation ceremony, where over 200 students accepted their diplomas and Quentin Brackenridge performed the Lincoln Alma Mater.
Last year, 1,043 schools in the U.S. were the victim of ransomware attacks, including 26 colleges or universities, according to an analysis by Emsisoft.
See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (Herald Review) (CNN)
U.S.
U.S. Tops One Million Coronavirus Deaths, WHO Estimates 15 Million Worldwide
Published
2 weeks agoon
May 5, 2022By
Chris Tolve
India’s real COVID death toll stands at about 4.7 million, ten times higher than official data, the WHO estimated.
One Million Dead
The United States officially surpassed one million coronavirus deaths Wednesday, 26 months after the first death was reported in late February of 2020.
Experts believe that figure is likely an undercount, since there are around 200,000 excess deaths, though some of those may not be COVID-related.
The figure is the equivalent of the population of San Jose, the tenth-largest city in the U.S., vanishing in just over two years. To put the magnitude in visual perspective, NECN published a graphic illustrating what one million deaths looks like.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the White House predicted between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans would die from the coronavirus in a best-case scenario.
By February 2021, over half a million Americans had died of COVID.
The coronavirus has become the third leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart disease and cancer.
The pandemic’s effects go beyond its death toll. Around a quarter of a million children have lost a caregiver to the virus, including about 200,000 who lost one or both parents. Every COVID-related death leaves an estimated nine people grieving.
The virus has hit certain industries harder than others, with food and agriculture, warehouse operations and manufacturing, and transportation and construction seeing especially high death rates.
People’s mental health has also been affected, with a study in January of five Western countries including the U.S. finding that 13% of people reported symptoms of PTSD attributable to actual or potential contact with the virus.
Fifteen Million Dead
On Thursday, the World Health Organization estimated that nearly 15 million people have died from the pandemic worldwide, a dramatic revision from the 5.4 million previously reported in official statistics.
Between January 2020 and the end of last year, the WHO estimated that between 13.3 million and 16.6 million people died either due to the coronavirus directly or because of factors somehow attributed to the pandemic’s impact on health systems, such as cancer patients who were unable to seek treatment when hospitals were full of COVID patients.
Based on that range, scientists arrived at an approximate total of 14.9 million.
The new estimate shows a 13% increase in deaths than is usually expected for a two-year period.
“This may seem like just a bean-counting exercise, but having these WHO numbers is so critical to understanding how we should combat future pandemics and continue to respond to this one,” Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious diseases specialist at the Yale School of Public Health who was not linked to the WHO research, told the Associated Press.
Most of the deaths occurred in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
According to the WHO, India counts the most deaths by far with 4.7 million, ten times its official number.
See what others are saying: (NBC) (U.S. News and World Report) (Scientific American)
U.S.
Official Says Missing Alabama Convict and Corrections Officer Had a “Special Relationship”
Published
3 weeks agoon
May 4, 2022By
Lili Stenn
Authorities have also said they now believe the officer willfully helped the inmate escape.
New Information on Missing Inmate & Officer
Authorities in Alabama revealed Tuesday that Assistant Director of Corrections for Lauderdale County Vicky White, who is accused of helping a murder suspect Casey Cole White escape from jail, had a “special relationship” with the inmate.
“Investigators received information from inmates at the Lauderdale County Detention Center over the weekend that there was a special relationship between Director White and inmate Casey White,” Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said in a statement. “That relationship has now been confirmed through our investigation by independent sources and means.”
Officials have previously said that the two are not related, despite their shared surname.
Singleton elaborated on the nature of the relationship while speaking to CNN later on Tuesday. He said it took place “outside of her normal work hours” and added that although it did not include “physical contact,” he still characterized it as “a relationship of a different nature.”
“We were told Casey White got special privileges and was treated differently while in the facility than the other inmates,” Singleton said.
Also on Tuesday, the Marshals Service issued a statement confirming that authorities believe Officer White had helped Mr. White escape. The authorities described her as a “wanted fugitive” and offered a $5,000 reward for any information on her whereabouts. Earlier this week, the Marshals Service also offered a $10,000 reward for any information that could lead to Mr. White’s capture.
Singleton echoed the belief that Officer White’s actions were intentional while speaking to Good Morning America Wednesday.
“I think all of our employees and myself included were really hoping that she did not participate in this willingly. But all indications are that she absolutely did,” he said. “We’re very disappointed in that because we had the utmost trust in her as an employee and as an assistant director of corrections.”
Mysterious Escape
Vicky White and Casey White were last seen leaving the Lauderdale County jail just after 9:30 a.m. Friday. The officer told other employees that she was taking the inmate to a mental health evaluation at a courthouse just down the road, and that she would be going to a medical appointment after because she was not feeling well.
Officials later said her actions violated an official policy that required two sworn deputies to transport people with murder charges. In 2020, Mr. White was charged with two counts of capital murder in connection to a fatal stabbing he confessed to and was awaiting his trial in Lauderdale County.
Mr. White was also serving time for what officials said was a “crime spree” in 2015 which included home invasion, carjacking, and a police chase. He had also previously tried to escape from jail, police said.
It wasn’t until 3:30 p.m. on Friday that a jail employee reported to higher-ups that he was not able to reach Officer White on her phone and that Mr. White had never been returned to his cell.
During a press conference that same night, Singleton told reporters that there had never even been a scheduled mental health evaluation. At another briefing Monday, he announced that an arrest warrant had been issued for Vicky on a charge of “permitting or facilitating an escape in the first degree.”
At the time, Singleton said it was unclear “whether she did that willingly or was coerced or threatened” but added, “we know for sure she did participate.”
See what others are saying: (CNN) (ABC News) (NPR)

N.Y. State Senate Passes Bill Championed by Jay-Z That Would Restrict Use of Rap Lyrics in Court

YouTube Touts MrBeast and Mainstream Appeal in First Upfront Presentation

Russia Takes Over 900 Azovstal Fighters Prisoner as Mariupol Surrenders

“Saturday Night Live” Faces Backlash for Sketch Mocking the Johnny Depp Amber Heard Trial

Convoy of Up to 1,000 Vehicles Evacuates Refugees From Mariupol as Russian War Effort Stalls

Israel Moves to Build Over 4,000 West Bank Settlements as Palestinian Homes Demolished

Canada Accused of Killing Poor People with Assisted Death Law

Actors Equity Association Slams Nude Video Leak of “Take Me Out”

Lincoln College to Close for Good After COVID and Ransomware Attack Ruin Finances

Fans Defend Britney Spears’ Nude Instagram Photos As a Form of Empowerment

Nationalist Sinn Fein Party Wins Northern Ireland Election for First Time in History

Mia Khalifa Shuts Down Death Rumors, Sparks Conversations About Plastic Surgery and Adult Film Industry

Ace Family’s Austin McBroom and Team Accused of Rape

YouTuber MrBeast Responds to Criticism of Massive Tree Planting Project

Netflix Apologizes and Changes Marketing Materials for “Cuties” After Backlash

Joe Rogan Denies Spotify Censorship Rumors, According to Alex Jones

Trisha Paytas Accused of Exploiting Transgender Community

Conservatives Slam Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Over “WAP” Lyrics

Dixie D’Amelio Responds to Rumors That She Faked Seizures to Get Out of Class

The Onision Controversy Explained

Influencer Coconut Kitty Accused of Editing Nude and Suggestive Photos To Make Herself Look Underage

Ariana Grande Look-Alike Responds After Singer Suggests Her TikTok Impersonations Are “Degrading”

THE VIDEO LEAKED! Joe Rogan v Mia Khalifa Exposes A Lot, TikTok v Youtube, Cawthorn, & More

WOW! Dave Chappelle Attacked Onstage! What Really Happened, Hero Uber Driver, & More

UNPRECEDENTED LEAK EXPOSES A LOT, IMPACTS EVERYONE, & IT’S GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER

“HE CHEATED!” Why People Are FURIOUS About MrBEAST, Ludwig, & Alexandra Botez’s MILLION DOLLAR GAME

I’m Sorry

THEY HATE US! Pokimane, Hasan Piker, & More Denounce Twitch As Youtube Struggles

Belle Delphine Bhad Bhabie Exposed A Lot & This is Just the Beginning…

ELON MUSK BOUGHT TWITTER, NOW WHAT? I got COVID, Joe Rogan, France, Supreme Court, & More

The Truth About Mike Tyson’s “Airplane Beatdown”, Why CNN+ Failed, Casey Neistat, & Today’s News

IT GOT WORSE?! Ethan Klein H3 Podcast Scandal, Melissa Lucio, Why Netflix Really Collapsed, & More

The Libs of Tiktok Washington Post Scandal Went Bad Fast… Taylor Lorenz, Hasan Piker, Joe Rogan

We Want to Hear From You! Tell Us About Your Personal Pandemic Experience

CinemaCon Reviewing Security After Olivia Wilde Was Handed Envelope With Custody Documents While On Stage

“Saturday Night Live” Faces Backlash for Sketch Mocking the Johnny Depp Amber Heard Trial

Fans Defend Britney Spears’ Nude Instagram Photos As a Form of Empowerment

Three Million Sign Petition Calling For Amber Heard to Be Removed From “Aquaman” Sequel

After Being Freed From 32 Years in Prison, Crosley Green May Have to Go Back Behind Bars

Canada Accused of Killing Poor People with Assisted Death Law

Actors Equity Association Slams Nude Video Leak of “Take Me Out”

U.S. Tops One Million Coronavirus Deaths, WHO Estimates 15 Million Worldwide

McCarthy Warned Far-Right Lawmakers Could Incite Violence After Jan. 6 in New Audio of Leaked Call

Lincoln College to Close for Good After COVID and Ransomware Attack Ruin Finances

N.Y. State Senate Passes Bill Championed by Jay-Z That Would Restrict Use of Rap Lyrics in Court

YouTube Touts MrBeast and Mainstream Appeal in First Upfront Presentation

Russia Takes Over 900 Azovstal Fighters Prisoner as Mariupol Surrenders

“Saturday Night Live” Faces Backlash for Sketch Mocking the Johnny Depp Amber Heard Trial

Convoy of Up to 1,000 Vehicles Evacuates Refugees From Mariupol as Russian War Effort Stalls

Israel Moves to Build Over 4,000 West Bank Settlements as Palestinian Homes Demolished

Canada Accused of Killing Poor People with Assisted Death Law

Actors Equity Association Slams Nude Video Leak of “Take Me Out”

Lincoln College to Close for Good After COVID and Ransomware Attack Ruin Finances

Fans Defend Britney Spears’ Nude Instagram Photos As a Form of Empowerment

Nationalist Sinn Fein Party Wins Northern Ireland Election for First Time in History

THE VIDEO LEAKED! Joe Rogan v Mia Khalifa Exposes A Lot, TikTok v Youtube, Cawthorn, & More

WOW! Dave Chappelle Attacked Onstage! What Really Happened, Hero Uber Driver, & More

UNPRECEDENTED LEAK EXPOSES A LOT, IMPACTS EVERYONE, & IT’S GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER

“HE CHEATED!” Why People Are FURIOUS About MrBEAST, Ludwig, & Alexandra Botez’s MILLION DOLLAR GAME

I’m Sorry

THEY HATE US! Pokimane, Hasan Piker, & More Denounce Twitch As Youtube Struggles

Belle Delphine Bhad Bhabie Exposed A Lot & This is Just the Beginning…

ELON MUSK BOUGHT TWITTER, NOW WHAT? I got COVID, Joe Rogan, France, Supreme Court, & More

The Truth About Mike Tyson’s “Airplane Beatdown”, Why CNN+ Failed, Casey Neistat, & Today’s News

IT GOT WORSE?! Ethan Klein H3 Podcast Scandal, Melissa Lucio, Why Netflix Really Collapsed, & More
