Short Takes – 3-20-25

NASA examining options for another Starliner test flight. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: ““Boeing, all the way up to their new CEO, Kelly [Ortberg], has been committed to Starliner,” he said, citing as evidence the level of effort the company is putting in to test new seals to eliminate helium leaks and “multifaceted” tests of thrusters. “I see a commitment from Boeing to continue the program. They realized that that they have an important vehicle, and we were very close to having the capability that we would like to field.””

3 people face federal charges for Tesla attacks. Are such acts domestic terrorism? NPR.org article. Pull quote: “Hoffman believes it's "a huge problem" that the U.S. has no domestic terrorism statute. But Patel, whose Brennan Center has long opposed such a law, says this would only be weaponized by the federal government and would make it too easy for "an administration to label unpopular groups or political enemies as a domestic terrorist outfit."”

NIST’s vulnerability database logjam is still growing despite attempts to clear it. NextGov.com article. Pull quote: ““They’ve gotten better by over 100% but the bad news is that their workload has been increasing,” said Bryan Cowan, a product owner and security researcher at Fortress Information Security who has been tracking NIST’s rate of vulnerability enrichments.”

A huge iceberg broke off Antarctica. What scientists found under it startled them. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: “Off Antarctica, the biggest mystery isn’t centered on any particular creature but on the entire ecosystem: How exactly does that much life thrive under so much ice?”

Trump ends program millions in China use for internet, worrying Congress. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: ““The Open Technology Fund provides a lifeline for people living under oppressive regimes, including citizens of China, Hong Kong, and Iran, by allowing them to safely communicate with the outside world and each other,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a 2020 statement. “Every once in a while a government program acts exactly as intended,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) said in a 2021 video post on X, referring to the OTF’s internet security tools that helped Cubans access the internet amid government-sanctioned shutdowns.”