The folks over at ABC World News Tonight appear to be vexed and frustrated with the pace of the Trump documents trial‚ and are beginning to voice their frustrations over it. Worse‚ they are echoing what seem to be Biden talking points in the process. Watch the report/venting in its entirety‚ as aired on ABC World News Tonight on Wednesday‚ April 4th‚ 2024: DAVID MUIR: We turn now to Donald Trump tonight‚ and Special Counsel Jack Smith signaling his frustration with the Florida judge overseeing the classified documents case. Smith calling a key decision by the judge‚ quote‚ “fundamentally flawed”. Here's Pierre Thomas. PIERRE THOMAS: Tonight‚ in an extraordinary filing‚ Special Counsel Jack Smith increasingly frustrated with the Florida judge's handling of the classified documents case‚ urging her to move the trial forward. Smith bluntly telling Judge Aileen Cannon -- who was appointed by Donald Trump -- that her decision to even consider Trump's claim that he could just declare classified documents to be his personal papers was "fundamentally flawed." Smith's unusually critical language came in response to Judge Cannon's suggestion that she might instruct the jury to take into account Trump's claims that the classified documents were his personal property. Smith writing that such a "legal premise is wrong" and "would distort the trial." And he's urging Judge Cannon to explain her position as soon as possible‚ making it clear he’s ready to appeal to a higher court. Critics of the judge wonder if she's delaying on purpose to help Donald Trump. An example of just how long some of these decisions are taking -- there was a hearing 34 days ago to discuss when the trial should begin. David‚ Judge Cannon still has not announced a decision.  MUIR: You’ll continue to follow it for sure. Pierre Thomas‚ tonight. Pierre‚ thank you.  The script for this report might as well have come from the Special Counsel’s office. There are the multiple expressions of Jack Smith’s frustration. There’s the early mention of Judge Cannon as a Trump appointee. Notice also the criticism of Judge Cannon’s rulings- but there is no legal expert brought in to go over the factual bases that underlie such an objection.  The entire focus of this report is on the thoughts and feelings of one Jack Smith. ABC News would like you to know that Smith is frustrated‚ Smith is critical‚ Smith is urging the judge to rule in his motions and not liking the Judge’s rationale for not yet having done so. All of this is before Pierre Thomas says‚ “Critics of the judge wonder if she's delaying on purpose to help Donald Trump.” Once again‚ the old “critics say” dodge rears its ugly head. As we always say: If it weren’t for regime media‚ there would be none at all.  

Some of the biggest names in aerospace — and the automotive industry — will play roles in putting NASA astronauts in the driver’s seat for roving around on the moon. The space agency today selected three teams to develop the capabilities for a lunar terrain vehicle‚ or LTV‚ which astronauts could use during Artemis missions to the moon starting with Artemis 5. That mission is currently scheduled for 2029‚ three years after the projected date for Artemis’ first crewed lunar landing. The teams’ leading companies may not yet be household names outside the space community: Intuitive Machines‚ Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab. But each of those ventures has more established companies as their teammates. Over the next 15 years‚ the three teams will be eligible to work on task orders amounting to a potential total value of $4.6 billion — with the aim of providing mobility technology for crewed and uncrewed moon rovers. The marquee vehicle would be a rover capable of carrying Artemis astronauts on journeys of exploration around the lunar surface‚ as well as taking robotic trips on its own. “We look forward to the development of the Artemis generation lunar exploration vehicle to help us advance what we learn at the moon‚” Vanessa Wyche‚ director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston‚ said today in a news release. “This vehicle will greatly increase our astronauts’ ability to explore and conduct science on the lunar surface while also serving as a science platform between crewed missions.” In a posting to X / Twitter‚ NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the LTV rover is “essential to the success of Artemis.” After the teams conduct year-long feasibility studies‚ NASA plans to select one of the teams to go ahead with construction and testing of its LTV‚ leading up to a lunar demonstration mission in advance of Artemis 5. NASA could give the teams additional task orders to fill its needs for unpressurized rover capabilities on the moon through 2039. Texas-based Intuitive Machines is best-known for putting a robotic lander on the lunar surface in February. A couple of its teammates — Boeing and Northrop Grumman — have moon-mission experience that goes back to the Apollo era. Michelin (the tire company) and AVL (which provides vehicle testing and simulation services) round out the Moon RACER team. NASA has awarded Intuitive Machines $30 million as a prime contractor to complete a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract. The company’s global Moon RACER team will be tasked with creating a feasibility roadmap to develop and deploy a Lunar Terrain Vehicle on the Moon using… pic.twitter.com/GaVh3cvrG5— Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) April 3‚ 2024 Colorado-based Lunar Outpost has already booked three rover missions for delivery to the moon by SpaceX and Intuitive Machines. Its teammates on the Lunar Dawn project include Lockheed Martin‚ General Motors‚ Goodyear Tire &; Rubber and MDA Space (known for building the robotic arms on NASA’s space shuttles and the International Space Station). Buckle up‚ Earthlings!@NASA has selected the Lunar Dawn team to develop a next-generation lunar terrain vehicle for its LTV contract as part of the @NASAArtemis program. pic.twitter.com/blxXrYL0F8— Lockheed Martin Space (@LMSpace) April 3‚ 2024 California-based Astrolab made a separate deal last year with SpaceX to have its FLEX rover delivered to the moon aboard a Starship lander for a commercial mission that’s set for as soon as 2026. Astrolab’s teammates on the FLEX LTV project include Axiom Space (which is making spacesuits for Artemis moon missions) and Odyssey Space Research. NASA has awarded Astrolab and its partners a contract worth up to $1.9 billion to advance the development of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle which will help Artemis astronauts explore more of the Moon’s surface.Read the full announcement: https://t.co/h9Cwopy5Z5 pic.twitter.com/FJJtq0oiH9— Astrolab (@Astrolab_Space) April 3‚ 2024 NASA said the LTV would support the Artemis program’s crewed missions to the moon’s south polar region‚ plus remote-controlled exploration activities as needed between those missions. “Outside those times‚ the provider will have the ability to use their LTV for commercial lunar surface activities unrelated to NASA missions‚” the space agency said. With regard to the financial arrangements‚ NASA said only that the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract had a combined maximum potential value of $4.6 billion for all task-order awards. But a couple of the teams provided additional details. Intuitive Machines said it was awarded $30 million as a prime contractor to complete the initial feasibility study for Moon RACER. And Astrolab said its LTV contract could be worth up to $1.9 billion‚ depending on NASA’s needs. The post Start Your Engines: NASA Picks 3 Teams to Work on Lunar Terrain Vehicle appeared first on Universe Today.

Spot the spider. No‚ the OTHER spider.

Inching closer to room temperature.