Short Takes – 2-14-24

New legislation mandates a governmentwide repository of records dealing with "unidentified anomalous phenomena." NextGov.com article. Pull quote: “Agencies have until the end of the current fiscal year to "review, identify, and organize each UAP record in its custody for disclosure to the public and transmission to the National Archives," according to a memo sent Tuesday afternoon from Laurence Brewer, chief records officer for the U.S. Government, and Chris Naylor, NARA's executive for research services, to federal agency records managers.”

Democrats flip Santos’s New York House seat in high-stakes special election. TheHill.com article. Not as close as polls predicted; 53.9% to 46.1%. Pull quote: “During his campaign, Suozzi emphasized his ties to the 3rd District, which he represented for six years before not seeking reelection in 2022 for an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid. He positioned himself as a moderate who is willing to break with his own party and work across the aisle.”

Senate GOP annoyed by new Speaker’s Ukraine move. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “One Senate Republican aide noted the Senate bill picked up five more Republican votes after Johnson “tried to kill it,” suggesting the Speaker’s disparaging comments had galvanized some Republican votes.”

SpaceX Postpones Launch of Intuitive Machines Moon Mission. NYTimes.com article (free). Pull quote: “If the technical problem is fixed, forecasts call for favorable weather during the next launch opportunity on Thursday. There is another backup launch opportunity on Friday.”

Russia’s Advances on Space-Based Nuclear Weapon Draw U.S. Concerns. NYTimes.com article (free). Pull quote: “The intelligence was made public, in part, in a cryptic announcement on Wednesday by Representative Michael R. Turner, Republican of Ohio and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He called on the Biden administration to declassify the information without saying specifically what it was.”

How to build an internet on Mars. ScienceNews.org article. Interesting discussion of technological challenges. Pull quote: “ESA is currently looking at making today’s relay network more robust. It is in the early stages of considering a concept called the Mars Communication and Navigation Infrastructure, or MARCONI. If it moves forward, the project will develop a set of communication- and navigation-related payloads that could piggyback on any mission headed to Mars.”