Red zone media zone

Welcome to Edition 5.01 of the Rocket Report! The Rocket Report turns 5 years old today, which means we have now published about 200 editions. I've probably written 400,000 words—more than one word for every kilometer to the Moon. That seems like a lot in hindsight, but I also feel like I'm just getting started. Thanks to everyone who has read along, and shared the newsletter with your friends and co-workers. As always, we welcome reader submissions , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets, as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar. Rocket Lab launches first deep-space mission . The company's small Electron vehicle launched the 25 kg CAPSTONE mission on Tuesday, and the rocket placed the spacecraft into a good orbit, Chief Executive Peter Beck said . Since then, … [Read more...] about Rocket Report: ULA starts military lobbying campaign, SLS to launch in 2 months

The industrial port of Kwinana on Australia’s western coast is a microcosm of the global energy industry. From 1955, it was home to one of the largest oil refineries in the region, owned by British Petroleum when it was still the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. It once provided 70 percent of Western Australia’s fuel supplies, and the metal husks of old tanks still dominate the shoreline, slowly turning to rust in the salt air. The refinery shut down in March 2021, but it isn’t just oil below the region’s red soil: Australia is also home to almost half of the world’s lithium supply. The trucks and machinery are humming once again, but now they’re part of a race to secure the clean energy sources of the future—a race being dominated by China. 2021 . Hundreds of so-called gigafactories across the country are churning out millions of EV batteries for both the domestic market and foreign carmakers like BMW, Volkswagen, and Tesla. China’s share of the market for lithium-ion batteries … [Read more...] about The world can’t wean itself off Chinese lithium

TikTok, the popular video app, is again in the crosshairs of US officials, with a high-ranking regulator and a group of lawmakers taking aim at national security concerns the Chinese-owned service may pose. Earlier this week, Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican appointed during former President Donald Trump's administration, revealed that he had asked Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores. The reason: the app collects data from users that poses risk to America's national security. "It is not just an app for sharing funny videos or memes," read Carr's letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. "That's the sheep's clothing." Google declined to comment. Apple didn't respond to a request for comment. Separately, nine Republican US senators, including Roy Blunt of Missouri and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, sent a letter to TikTok expressing concern over a report the company had given officials in Beijing "backdoor … [Read more...] about US Officials Call TikTok a National Security Threat. Here’s What You Need to Know

Let's say you're in the market for a VPN (virtual private network). You're probably looking for some combination of better privacy (from snooping ISPs, advertisers or governments), increased online security (who knows who else is on that public Wi-Fi node?) or even more flexible video streaming options. Unlike mobile operating systems (two main options) or US mobile providers (three basic choices), you might be impressed with the range of VPN providers available to you. At first glance, you'll see at least a dozen options. However, many of the biggest names in the industry today -- and some of CNET's top VPN picks -- are owned by just three parent companies. And those "big three" have gotten even larger in just the past few months, thanks to an increasing wave of VPN consolidation . Pair that with the deliberately opaque and multinational ownership structure of many VPNs and it's becoming even trickier to make sense of which providers are owned or controlled by which parent … [Read more...] about 3 companies control many big-name VPNs: What you need to know

Taliban Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada made a surprise appearance at an ongoing conference of Islamic clerics in Kabul, Afghanistan, declaring Islam “the religion of peace” while declaring that the Taliban “hopes for martyrdom” and celebrates the success of “our jihad.” Akhundzada has taken great care not to be seen in public. His remarks at the conference surfaced through Taliban media outlets like the Bakhtar News Agency and via spokesmen such as top Taliban representative Zabihullah Mujahid. The Taliban allowed friendly outlets to public audio, but not photos, of the event and reportedly blocked independent media from attending the event. Taliban officials convened thousands of Islamic clerics, Afghan media reported , to discuss political solutions to the nation’s problems. The jihadist organization banned women from the event, insisting that their “sons” would represent their wishes on issues such as banning girls from schools and women from working outside of … [Read more...] about Taliban Chief Takes Victory Lap at Afghan Cleric Summit

Actress Busy Philipps was among 181 people arrested Thursday during a pro-abortion protest in Washington, DC. The Girls5eva actress, 43, was detained by police for blocking traffic outside the U.S. Supreme Court alongside a number of Planned Parenthood leaders. Roe v. Wade on June 24. Phillips told VICE News she was arrested in the name of “equality” in a clip shared across social media. . @BusyPhilipps was arrested at a protest in front of the Supreme Court today, and tells VICE News that she’s getting arrested for “equality.” pic.twitter.com/MOm6ZyY6Cl — VICE News (@VICENews) June 30, 2022 As she was cuffed and led away, members of the crowd could be heard cheering her on and saying “Thank you for your service.” Philipps later addressed the matter in a lengthy Instagram post in which she shared photos and videos of her arrest. “I’m doing this for you guys. I’m doing this for my kids, I’m doing this for my mom, I’m doing this for my grandma.” she wrote. … [Read more...] about Actress Busy Philipps Arrested at Supreme Court Pro-Abortion Protest: ‘I’m Doing This for My Kids’