Short Takes – 2-12-25

GOP lawmakers urge Trump to respect federal court rulings. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Tuesday said the growing tensions between the White House and federal judges is a “nature give and take” between the branches but added that the president must respect the judiciary.”

Why the ‘redheaded stepchild’ of renewable energy is poised to rise under Trump.  Pull quote: “Over the short term, Beard foresaw a rough ride for the geothermal industry: It could lose access to Inflation Reduction Act tax credits if Republican efforts to cut them — in whole or in part — go through. And most federal geothermal programs are housed in the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a potential target of a staunchly pro-fossil fuel administration.”

In emergency decision, James Webb telescope will study 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 before its close approach to Earth. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “JWST will first observe 2024 YR4 in March as the asteroid reaches its peak brightness, according to ESA. In May, the telescope will observe the asteroid again as it zooms far away from the sun — the final viewing opportunity for this space rock until its next close approach comes in 2028.”

What’s next for Artemis? Boeing announces potential SLS layoffs. WHNT.com article. Pull quote: ““To align with revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations, on Friday we informed our Space Launch Systems team of the potential for approximately 400 fewer positions by April 2025. This will require 60-day notices of involuntary layoff be issued to impacted employees in coming weeks, in accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. We are working with our customer and seeking opportunities to redeploy employees across our company to minimize job losses and retain our talented teammates.””

GAO Finds Gaps in USCG’s Oversight of Cybersecurity for Maritime Sector. Maritime-Executive.com article. Pull quote: “The GAO report details its five recommendations to address these issues within USCG. They also note that the Department of Homeland Security, of which USCG has been a part since 2003, concurred with GAO's cybersecurity recommendations.”

EO 14202 - Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias. Federal Register.

EO 14203 - Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Federal Register.

EO 14204 - Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa. Federal Register.

EO 14205 - Establishment of the White House Faith Office. Federal Register.

EO 14206 - Protecting Second Amendment Rights. Federal Register.