Unable To Tame Hydrogen Leaks, NASA Delays Artemis II Launch Until March
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Unable To Tame Hydrogen Leaks, NASA Delays Artemis II Launch Until March (Maria)
The author writes, “The launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first flight of astronauts to the Moon in more than 53 years, will have to wait another month after a fueling test Monday uncovered hydrogen leaks in the connection between the rocket and its launch platform at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.”
These Patches Are Clues to Identifying Immigration Agents (Sean)
From The Intercept: “We built a guide to patches worn by ICE and CBP to help the public determine which federal agents are in their communities.”
What Trumpian Chaos Is Doing to the Dollar (Dana)
The author writes, “The role of the dollar is unlikely to be diminished in the immediate future, and its status as the global reserve currency is not currently under any serious threat. But the instability of the Trump administration could lead to a slow erosion in trust in the dollar, which in the long term — think years or decades hence — could reshape global monetary infrastructure.”
Microdosing for Depression Appears to Work About as Well as Drinking Coffee (Reader Jim)
From Wired: “For years, people from CEOs to novelists have taken tiny amounts of psychedelics to support well-being. New research shows that benefits for depression may be attributable to a placebo effect.”
Looming Water Supply ‘Bankruptcy’ Puts Billions at Risk, UN Report Warns (Laura)
The author writes, “The world is facing irreversible water ‘bankruptcy,’ with billions of people struggling to cope with the consequences of decades of overuse as well as shrinking supplies from lakes, rivers, glaciers and wetlands, U.N. researchers said [last month].”
Politics Are Everywhere. Is Super Bowl 2026 Different? (Reader Steve)
From The Seattle Times: “It is Seattle versus Boston, played outside San Francisco, with a Puerto Rican halftime act. That’s about as Blue America as it gets. It is an ode to masculinity, a celebration of strength, combat and capitalism, featuring military flyovers and perhaps, this year, swarms of ICE agents. Sounds pretty MAGA to me. As the Seahawks prepare to play in their fourth Super Bowl, the NFL stands as the preeminent cultural force in an America that more and more seems to be tearing itself apart at the seams. The sport, the spectacle, purport to rise above the political tumult, the scenes of horror, that have engulfed the nation, but they can’t help but be dragged into the din.”
