House committee kills "Space Force" in favor of "Space Corps"

Wait, What?

A House committee has decided that the U.S. does need a space-focused military branch, but that it should be called the Space Corps and not the Space Force.

House Committee Kills “Space Force” in Favor of “Space Corps”

The name-changing amendment passed unanimously.

"There’s no end to the pernicious abuse of this technology."

Congress is officially freaking out about deepfakes

Deepfake State

Congress is worried that deepfakes, computer-generated fake videos, could undermine and severely disrupt the 2020 presidential campaign.

Congress Is Officially Freaking Out About Deepfakes

"We are outgunned."

"I am going to reserve judgment on the overall moon landing plan until Congress is provided with more concrete information."

Congress denies NASA request for more Moon mission money

Talk to the Hand

The House Appropriations Committee slapped down the White Houses's request for additional funds for a 2024 Moon Mission by NASA.

Congress Denies NASA Request for More Moon Mission Money

Will NASA still be able to land humans on the Moon by 2024?

Since "the ancient Greeks first put to sea," Cruz argued, we've recognized the "necessity to protect waterborne traffic and commerce from bad actors."

This US congressman is seriously worried about space pirates

Jolly Roger

During a Senate hearing, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) argued that a Space Force is necessary to ward off space pirates and protect exploration efforts.

This US Congressman Is Seriously Worried About Space Pirates

"Pirates threaten the open seas, and the same is possible in space." 

"The administration has provided few details about what the three organizations that it has proposed would look like or how large they would be."

Report: Trump's Space Force could cost billions more than expected

Sticker Shock

According to a report, the proposed independent branch of the U.S. military dubbed Space Force could rack up $1.3 billion in additional costs per year

Report: Trump’s Space Force Could Cost Billions More Than Expected

Nobody really knows how much an entirely new military branch will cost the United States.

According to Sherman, Cryptocurrencies are trying to explicitly "take power away from us," threatening to make foreign policy irrelevant.

This congressman wants to make all cryptocurrency illegal

Bitcoin-Basher

Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) urged his colleagues to help outlaw cryptocurrency and the purchase thereof by Americans "so we can nip this in the bud."

This Congressman Wants to Make All Cryptocurrency Illegal

Should cryptocurrency be outlawed? This congressman thinks so.

A political impasse is hurting space exploration.

Gov shutdown means 95 percent of NASA employees aren't at work

Space Case

The ongoing government shutdown means that 95 percent of NASA's workforce is home on furlough during New Horizons' historic flyby.

Gov Shutdown Means 95 Percent of NASA Employees Aren’t At Work

"Most view this as an act of ineptitude."

Tensions are already high between the two countries.

The U.S. challenges Iran's attempt to develop a cryptocurrency

Iran Crypto

Congress just introduced a bill calling for sanctions against Iran's efforts to develop its own national cryptocurrency.

The U.S. Challenges Iran’s Attempt to Develop a Cryptocurrency

According to the U.S., entering the crypto space would let Iran dodge sanctions.

This secretive Google project is going nowhere fast.

Google CEO: "No plans" to launch censored Chinese search engine

Dragonfly

In a hearing in front of a House Committee, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that Google had "no plans" to launch a search product in China.

Google CEO: “No Plans” To Launch Censored Chinese Search Engine

But project Dragonfly is very real.

Facebook and Twitter are caught in an "arms race" against those spreading misinformation.

Social media giants need regulation from a government that's unsure how to help

Sci-Fi Visions

Today, leadership from Facebook and Twitter testified in front of Congress. Regulation is on the table, but no one's quite sure what that would look like.

/Congress