Short Takes – 11-8-24

New polymers to be tested in extreme conditions aboard the International Space Station. ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “During testing they will need to survive temperatures between -150ºC and 120ºC, space debris travelling seven times faster than a bullet, severe electromagnetic radiation and high vacuum atomic oxygen.”

Trump wins tip scales for GOP on government funding. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““It does not matter who is in the White House or who controls the House and the Senate. Close margins in the House next year—and the lack of a supermajority for Republicans in the Senate—mean Democrats and Republicans will still need to work together if we want to pass funding bills,” she [Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D,CT)] said. “Whether we do it now or wait until next year, no single chamber or political party can act alone to fund the programs and services hardworking Americans depend on. Leaving all our work for January is a mistake.” Everyone continues to assume that the new Senate will not change the cloture rule. I would not be surprised to see that changed to a 50-vote requirement (instead of the current 60-vote margin) for spending bills.

A space walking robot could build a giant telescope in space. Phys.org article. Pull quote: “"The capability to assemble complex systems in orbit using one or more robots will be an absolute requirement for supporting a resilient future orbital ecosystem," the authors write. "In the forthcoming decades, newer infrastructures in the Earth's orbits, which are much more advanced than the International Space Station, are needed for in-orbit servicing, manufacturing, recycling, orbital warehouse, Space-based Solar Power (SBSP), and astronomical and Earth-observational stations."” Discussed journal article here.

The chemical enterprise braces for a second Trump presidency. CEN.ACS.org article. Pull quote: “At an event convened by the law firm McDermott Will & Emery in Boston the day after the election, executives discussed whether the shift in power might enable the repeal or rewriting of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Biosecure Act, both of which have proved unpopular with biopharma executives. The IRA gives Medicare the power to negotiate the prices of certain drugs, while the Biosecure Act prevents biopharma companies from using certain manufacturers outside the US. One executive pointed out that Trump has historically been keen on undoing his predecessors’ legacies—but for legislation, that’s easier said than done.”

Antibody Testing Picks Up More H5N1 Cases in Dairy Farm Workers. MedPageToday.com article. Pull quote: “First, the agency expanded the recommendation for who should be tested to include people who were exposed but asymptomatic. "We in public health need to cast a wider net in terms of who is offered a test so that we can identify, treat, and isolate those individuals," Shah said.”

Availability of Five Draft Toxicological Profiles. Federal Register ATSD request for comments. Summary: “The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the opening of a docket to obtain comments on drafts of five updated toxicological profiles: benzene, carbon disulfide, cyanide, thallium, and chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. This action is necessary as this is the opportunity for members of the public and organizations to submit comments on drafts of the profiles. The intended effect of this action is to ensure that the public can note any pertinent additional information or reports on studies about the health effects caused by exposure to the substances covered in these five profiles for review.” Comments due February 6^th, 2025.

Starship’s Next Launch Could Be Just Two Weeks Away. Wired.com article. Pull quote: ““Hardware upgrades for this flight add additional redundancy to booster propulsion systems, increase structural strength at key areas, and shorten the timeline to offload propellants from the booster following a successful catch,” the company said. “Mission designers also updated software controls and commit criteria for the booster’s launch and return.””