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374 results for “missioncontrol”
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#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #search #searchengine #frogFind #mac #macOS #macintosh #netscape #navigator #cck
Catch of the Day: The Corporate Time Capsule! 🏢💼
Hey Retro Fans!
Today, our Frog pond caught a guest whose browser ID looks like a secret message from 2001: Netscape Navigator 4.77C-CCK-MCD on a Mac!
What on earth does that alphabet soup at the end mean? That is pure nostalgia for system administrators!
CCK stands for the Client Customization Kit. This allowed companies, universities, or Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to brand the Netscape Navigator with their own corporate logos, fixed bookmarks, and homepages.
MCD stands for Mission Control Desktop. This was a powerful Netscape tool that allowed admins to centrally control and lock down browser settings for thousands of employees across the corporate network.
The fact that today, 25 years later, someone boots up their old Apple Macintosh (probably running Mac OS 8 or 9) and uses exactly this customized, strictly regulated corporate or provider version to visit FrogFind is an absolute dream. A living fossil of early enterprise IT!
May your bookmarks always be centrally managed!
Your FrogFind Team 🐸
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Random Fusion 360 tip for macOS users. Major usability improvement.
Shift + Middle Mouse Button is supposed to let you orbit in Fusion 360, but on macOS it defaults to showing Mission Control. Here's the fix. Posting for my future self.
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Booo. I’m on my fourth set of Nintendo Switch joycons because they’ve all drifted, including the current set.
I’m straight up using a homebrew program called Mission Control that lets me use my PlayStation 4 & 5 controllers with the Switch because I straight up refuse to give more money to Nintendo for their clearly faulty controller design.
#Nintendo #NintendoSwitch #JoyCons #JoyConDrift #Gaming
Quoting @arstechnica: https://geeknews.chat/@arstechnica/109853269403242849
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Naturally, there is a summary for July as well. These include textual summaries of the highlights, the embedded Timelapse video, and my "Video Logs", which is me talking to camera -- with over-the-shoulder graphics, like the news once was long ago.
https://tv.filmfreedom.net/w/5csJqkh9zmpEhh3TM57vWK
I spent a little more time than was probably justified working on icons for Fediverse software, programming languages, packaging systems -- and just for grins custom character emoji for Farscape.
Some of those will appear in my video logs in the future, as well as possibly find use in diagrams for future articles.
But a lot of it was working finishing the video texture effect for the Mission Control shots.
#LunaticsProject #Timelapse #July2025 -
The July timelapse is longer. I was hoping to finish up the episode in July, though that didn't happen.
I DID finish up the Mission Control shots for the "Launch" sequence though, which was a major hurdle. So I feel pretty good about that.
I also converted the two Soyuz interior shots that I had pulled over from the following "Soyuz Flight" sequence into "Launch". These are now "LA-6-A" & "LA-6-B". I started working on the lipsync for LA-6-B, but there's more work to do there (I might get back to that this week -- but I'm going to be taking this VERY slowly: this is more about keeping me from climbing the walls than about getting any objectives met).
https://tv.filmfreedom.net/w/5csJqkh9zmpEhh3TM57vWK
#LunaticsProject #Timelapse #July2025 -
‘I think we may be orbiting a little higher than Santa’ (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit:…
#NewsBeep #News #Science #CA #Canada #ChrisWilliams #Christmas #Christmascard #Christmastraditions #Christmastree #internationalspacestation #KimiyaYui #MikeFincke #MissionControl #NASAastronauts #NASATV #ZenaCardman
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/369237/ -
🤘💗🤘 TODAY!!! 🤘💗🤘
Come #HangoutAndNerdout with @ishotjr and our lovely friends @alexglow and Jinger Zeng from #Hackster as we celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth with @LaserMistress from #CrowdSupply and @oshwassociation, #CocoaPress creator Ellie Rose, and #MissionControlLab founder Jessica Cobb! 🤘💗🤘
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This Friday, March 24th, come #HangoutAndNerdout with @ishotjr and our lovely friends @alexglow and Jinger Zeng from #Hackster as we celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth with @LaserMistress from #CrowdSupply and @oshwassociation, #CocoaPress creator Ellie Rose, and #MissionControlLab founder Jessica Cobb! 🤘💗🤘
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A Look Behind the “Big Boards” at Mission Control in the Golden Age of NASA - Certified space-nerd and all-around retro-tech guru [Fran Blanche] has just outdone herself with a... - https://hackaday.com/2020/10/29/a-look-behind-the-big-boards-at-mission-control-in-the-golden-age-of-nasa/ #retrocomputing #missioncontrol #projection #telemetry #eidophor #console #slides #space #data #nasa
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Er komt een vreemd geluid uit de Boeing Starliner
Mission Control in het Johnson Space Center in Houston vergelijkt het geluid met een “pulserend geluid, bijna als een sonar-ping”.
https://www.kuuke.nl/er-komt-een-vreemd-geluid-uit-de-boeing-starliner/
#boeing #ButchWilmore #nasa #sonarping #starliner #VreemdGeluid
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"Mission control. The pink owl is floating. Roger." (#NASATV live at http://ustre.am/rrom )
403 Forbidden -
A detail render of the Mission Control Room set that I created for social media banners, showing what are ostensibly crew medical-readouts (I drew those with Inkscape, the scene is rendered with Blender).
This is similar to a shot that will occur in the pilot, except for the mission controller characters not being present.
Lunatics Project | lunatics.tv
:cc_cc: :cc_by: :cc_sa: 4.0#LunaticsTV #Blender3D #NPR3D #SetDesign #Inkscape #GraphicDesign #MastoArt
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♲ @[email protected]: Frances "Poppy" Northcutt was the first female engineer in NASA's mission control.
Poppy Northcutt’s headset crackled as a fellow mission controller again directed his colleagues to turn to a specific camera channel on their consoles.
It was 1968 and the 25-year-old Northcutt often was too busy running Apollo 8 simulations to pay this channel any heed. But on this particular day, she wasn’t quite so busy.
What she saw made her breath catch in her throat. Her male colleagues had trained a Mission Control room camera directly on her. And they had been watching it for months.
Northcutt didn’t tell anyone about the camera — or how it made her feel. As the first and only woman working in Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, she knew the treatment could be a lot worse.
www.houstonchronicle.com/local…
#FrancesNorthcutt #PoppyNorthcutt #NASA #women #feminism #space #science #Apollo #sexism #harassment
Today, she works as a lawyer, is the president of the Texas chapter of the National Organization of Women, and fights for abortion rights. "One time rocket scientist, sometime lawyer, full time feminist" www.houstonchronicle.com/local… -
#3Dprinted #chocolate? ✅ Starting your own #hardware company? ✅ #Invention + adventure? ✅ It may be #WomensHistoryMonth, but our three speakers are busy fabricating the #future by breaking the (chocolate) mold, converting buses into #TinyHomes, and creating intuitive and playful #STEAM products at #CocoaPress, #CrowdSupply, and #MissionControlLab. 🤘⚡🤘
https://makezine.com/article/maker-news/hangout-nerdout-with-fearless-women-innovators-march-24th/
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Da série "ícones que vão perdendo detalhes e ficam mais difíceis de entender”, com vocês o novo ícone do Mission Control no #macOSTahoe26. [via @BasicAppleGuy] https://www.instagram.com/p/DOM6ibRjWDw/
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Thoughts On The MacBook NEO
The MacBook Neo is a nice piece of kit. If you’re in the market the price is right, the build is very good, and in my first impressions the laptop is a delight. Any of the complaints and concerns you’ve probably read or heard from those who own more kitted out Macs can be easily dismissed. At the moment. I’d venture to say that for the vast majority of everyday computer users the MacBook Neo will be a nice fit.
One of the folks I support reached out and said they wanted to obtain one, so I picked one up and did the drudge work of installing the OS update and some of the initial setup last week. We later spent some time together getting it set up the way they like. Moving from an M1 MacBook Air bought in 2022, they opted for a Citrus colored 512GB model with TouchID. The good news is there’s no real learning curve for this client when it comes to features and using the device. There is no bad news.
When I say “in the market,” my client is what I consider one of the perfect customers for the MacBook Neo. A retired senior that began using a computer later in life, later jumping on the iPhone train with the iPhone 5.
They do most of their computing on an iPhone and use a laptop for email, messaging, shopping, FaceTime, and some occasional writing. Occasionally they use Photos on a MacBook Air to manage photos, but still do most of that on an iPhone.
Of the fancy new features Apple has released over the last few years the only one they really rely on is seeing notifications from their iPhone on their laptop screen when they are using the laptop. There’s a currently a problem with that, which I’ll address later.
Given their computing needs and desires, they could probably get by without a laptop, but due to decreased finger flexibility, they feel more comfortable using a laptop for apps like Messages and Apple Mail when they are home. The only thing they connect to a port is power.
Hardware
As to the device itself, it feels great and a bit whimsical. As a MacBook Air user (13-inch, M4) I have to say that I’d love to see the guts of the Air in this form factor. They weigh the same, and the Neo is slightly smaller, but it feels tinier and more totable. You give up a bit of screen real estate with the slightly smaller display, but there is no notch. Apple may have cut features now considered defaults on the MacBook Air, but it didn’t skimp on the look and feel quality. In my opinion that and the price point are what sells the device.
We’ve long since reached a point where computing devices, whether in traditional form, or smartphones and tablets, all come with so many features that even power users don’t need or use some of what’s possible. Innovation has always curved towards adding more possibilities, as it should. In my opinion, it’s a good thing to flatten the curve a bit, offering products that don’t need all the bells and whistles.
Color
Apple is taking larger steps towards bolder color choices these days, and the Citrus color scheme for the Neo certainly is another big stride into that orchard. I personally wasn’t that attracted to it when it was unveiled, but after having the Neo around for a bit, I have to say that it not only adds to the novelty, but makes the tool feel a bit more fun. At night under a desk lamp the damn thing gives off an almost otherworldly glow.
One of Apple’s trends of the last few years is to match up UI color schemes and themes with the color chosen for the hardware. Highlights, buttons, and some text reflect and complement the color of the shell. The tinted keyboard of the Neo takes that a further step forward on the fun factor scale. That said, the citrus Neo’s color scheme, bold as it is, often leaves some text harder to read, certainly for older eyes.
We settled on choosing the dark version of the Citrus wallpaper for my client to solve this.
The A18 Pro Chip
Apple raised eyebrows announcing and releasing this new laptop powered by an iPhone chip. An older and binned A18 Pro chip. In my limited time with the Neo I haven’t noticed anything but good performance.
I’ve heard and read others state that the setup process was slower than they have experienced on M-series Apple laptops. That wasn’t my experience. Things moved along readily enough If you count the number of times you have to accept and click on permission popups as something that’s desirable in an out-of-the-box experience. But that’s unfortunately true of any of Apple’s computers.
Again, I’m experiencing this only through setting up and doing a few tutorials for my client, but the performance I’m seeing feels more than adequate to met their needs.
One thing I did notice throughout my hands on time is that the Neo takes longer to connect to a WiFi network than either my MacBook Air or iMac (both M4 devices.) In fact, it feels very much like how long an iPhone sometimes does connecting to WiFi when rebooting. That makes sense on a smartphone when a device immediately connects to a cell signal, but in an age when everything is expecting an Internet connection one way or another, (on setting up a new device one of the first things required is to establish a WiFi connection) it seems like there should be a way to not start reaching out on a previously set up, non-cellular device until after a connection is made.
Battery Life
Setting up any new computer or smartphone puts a load on battery life. That continues during the first day or so after initial setup as things sync up. After performing the first OS update I didn’t use the Neo much until after my client was with me, but even after continuing setup and tweaking a few things there was 68% battery life left. Time will tell how that goes, but given my client’s usage I don’t anticipate them having battery life issues.
Memory Management
Much was also made about the one size fits all 8GB memory cap, regardless of the storage model one chooses. My client doesn’t run a heavy load of applications or keep many tabs open, so I’m not the best judge of how good the swapping out of memory to the SSD works. Apple’s Unified Memory Architecture seems to be working as designed in my limited view. I do wonder how well it does with devices that only have a 256GB SSD if they contain a lot of data.
Screen Size
I prefer the More Space option on displays I use. My client prefers the default view. Even with More Space selected, the Neo feels very much like a one app at a time computer to me, which generally lines up with my client’s needs. I always set up a Hot Corner Shortcut with Mission Control to make window navigation easier, and that feels more necessary on the Neo in the default display mode.
Apple has a feature that allows you to click the wallpaper and move all open apps off of the screen. You can choose to do this all of the time, or only in Stage Manager. I don’t recommend Stage Manager to my clients, and I typically recommend turning off the click wallpaper to show desktop feature. In this case my client likes this fly away feature, and sees it as a bit of whimsy. Even though they prefer to keep the Dock and Menu Bar always visible. So we’ll leave it on.
Trackpad
The Neo has a different trackpad than other current MacBooks. From what I’d read previously I expected to feel more of a difference between it and the trackpad on the MacBook Air. There’s a difference certainly, but it doesn’t feel like that big of one to me. I moved back and forth between the two devices without even really thinking about it.
Notifications from iPhone
I mentioned an issue earlier with iPhone notifications flowing through to the MacBook Neo. This is a feature I use myself. It’s set up through iPhone Mirroring, which you have to open at least once in order to set up.
One of the nifty things about this feature is that you’re allowed to pick and choose which notifications flow through and those you block either on your iPhone, or on your Mac. If you choose to use this feature and set it up, you’ll see an option in your Mac’s settings to allow these notifications.
If you click on Allow Notifications from iPhone, you’ll be taken to another screen. Below the three Allow options here, you’ll see a list of any notifications you’re allowing to flow through or not from you iPhone, and whether you’ve turned them off on your iPhone or they are coming through from an app installed on your Mac. As a reference, the screenshot below is from my iMac.
On my client’s Neo, no apps appeared initially. The section above that begins with Acme Weather is blank on their Neo. There shouldn’t have been many. Regardless none were there. We called Apple Support and opened a ticket. Luckily on the first call we got a senior advisor who understood the issue. After doing some checking the situation turned into something Apple is really interested in tracking down. These are a new line of devices after all. So we were off into the land of running sysdiagnoses. We’re expecting a call back on Friday with any discoveries or solutions Apple may have come up with. Fortunately we have time still left in the return window.
At the Moment
In the opening paragraph of this post I also used the phrase “At the moment.” Two thoughts there.
First, as I’ve described my client, they are not a heavy laptop user. Those who might be looking into the MacBook Neo who are might have a different experience in both the short or long term. I’ve never yet met a computer that doesn’t slow down over time. I doubt the MacBook Neo will be any different. The difference in any performance degradation between the Neo and other Mac laptops is yet to be seen. My hunch is this first MacBook Neo will still be a winner for at least a few years, certainly if you’re a not a heavy user.
Second, the rumors are that the Neo is such a success that Apple might be running out of the binned A18Pro chips it’s using to power the MacBook Neo. Speculation on what happens if that’s true is rampant, and who really knows. Current demand has already caused a delay in shipping times, and I know that secondary retailers Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have plenty of signs, but very limited or no stock. My hunch here is that Apple will be selling MacBook Neos for quite some time, even though it might take you a while to get your hands on one.
Summing Up
To conclude, let me say that I’ve thought since Apple’s announcement of the MacBook Neo that it would prove to be a hit and a palpable one to the laptop market in general. In my brief experience setting up this one for my client and seeing their delight at the form factor, coupled with the high demand, I’ll more than double down on that thinking.
Personally, as I anticipate my computing needs becoming less in the more quickly than I’d like years to come, I could easily see myself relying on a MacBook Neo in the future.
You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.
#Apple #Mac #MacBook #MacBookNeo #macOS26 #Tech #technology -
Thoughts On The MacBook NEO
The MacBook Neo is a nice piece of kit. If you’re in the market the price is right, the build is very good, and in my first impressions the laptop is a delight. Any of the complaints and concerns you’ve probably read or heard from those who own more kitted out Macs can be easily dismissed. At the moment. I’d venture to say that for the vast majority of everyday computer users the MacBook Neo will be a nice fit.
One of the folks I support reached out and said they wanted to obtain one, so I picked one up and did the drudge work of installing the OS update and some of the initial setup last week. We later spent some time together getting it set up the way they like. Moving from an M1 MacBook Air bought in 2022, they opted for a Citrus colored 512GB model with TouchID. The good news is there’s no real learning curve for this client when it comes to features and using the device. There is no bad news.
When I say “in the market,” my client is what I consider one of the perfect customers for the MacBook Neo. A retired senior that began using a computer later in life, later jumping on the iPhone train with the iPhone 5.
They do most of their computing on an iPhone and use a laptop for email, messaging, shopping, FaceTime, and some occasional writing. Occasionally they use Photos on a MacBook Air to manage photos, but still do most of that on an iPhone.
Of the fancy new features Apple has released over the last few years the only one they really rely on is seeing notifications from their iPhone on their laptop screen when they are using the laptop. There’s a currently a problem with that, which I’ll address later.
Given their computing needs and desires, they could probably get by without a laptop, but due to decreased finger flexibility, they feel more comfortable using a laptop for apps like Messages and Apple Mail when they are home. The only thing they connect to a port is power.
Hardware
As to the device itself, it feels great and a bit whimsical. As a MacBook Air user (13-inch, M4) I have to say that I’d love to see the guts of the Air in this form factor. They weigh the same, and the Neo is slightly smaller, but it feels tinier and more totable. You give up a bit of screen real estate with the slightly smaller display, but there is no notch. Apple may have cut features now considered defaults on the MacBook Air, but it didn’t skimp on the look and feel quality. In my opinion that and the price point are what sells the device.
We’ve long since reached a point where computing devices, whether in traditional form, or smartphones and tablets, all come with so many features that even power users don’t need or use some of what’s possible. Innovation has always curved towards adding more possibilities, as it should. In my opinion, it’s a good thing to flatten the curve a bit, offering products that don’t need all the bells and whistles.
Color
Apple is taking larger steps towards bolder color choices these days, and the Citrus color scheme for the Neo certainly is another big stride into that orchard. I personally wasn’t that attracted to it when it was unveiled, but after having the Neo around for a bit, I have to say that it not only adds to the novelty, but makes the tool feel a bit more fun. At night under a desk lamp the damn thing gives off an almost otherworldly glow.
One of Apple’s trends of the last few years is to match up UI color schemes and themes with the color chosen for the hardware. Highlights, buttons, and some text reflect and complement the color of the shell. The tinted keyboard of the Neo takes that a further step forward on the fun factor scale. That said, the citrus Neo’s color scheme, bold as it is, often leaves some text harder to read, certainly for older eyes.
We settled on choosing the dark version of the Citrus wallpaper for my client to solve this.
The A18 Pro Chip
Apple raised eyebrows announcing and releasing this new laptop powered by an iPhone chip. An older and binned A18 Pro chip. In my limited time with the Neo I haven’t noticed anything but good performance.
I’ve heard and read others state that the setup process was slower than they have experienced on M-series Apple laptops. That wasn’t my experience. Things moved along readily enough If you count the number of times you have to accept and click on permission popups as something that’s desirable in an out-of-the-box experience. But that’s unfortunately true of any of Apple’s computers.
Again, I’m experiencing this only through setting up and doing a few tutorials for my client, but the performance I’m seeing feels more than adequate to met their needs.
One thing I did notice throughout my hands on time is that the Neo takes longer to connect to a WiFi network than either my MacBook Air or iMac (both M4 devices.) In fact, it feels very much like how long an iPhone sometimes does connecting to WiFi when rebooting. That makes sense on a smartphone when a device immediately connects to a cell signal, but in an age when everything is expecting an Internet connection one way or another, (on setting up a new device one of the first things required is to establish a WiFi connection) it seems like there should be a way to not start reaching out on a previously set up, non-cellular device until after a connection is made.
Battery Life
Setting up any new computer or smartphone puts a load on battery life. That continues during the first day or so after initial setup as things sync up. After performing the first OS update I didn’t use the Neo much until after my client was with me, but even after continuing setup and tweaking a few things there was 68% battery life left. Time will tell how that goes, but given my client’s usage I don’t anticipate them having battery life issues.
Memory Management
Much was also made about the one size fits all 8GB memory cap, regardless of the storage model one chooses. My client doesn’t run a heavy load of applications or keep many tabs open, so I’m not the best judge of how good the swapping out of memory to the SSD works. Apple’s Unified Memory Architecture seems to be working as designed in my limited view. I do wonder how well it does with devices that only have a 256GB SSD if they contain a lot of data.
Screen Size
I prefer the More Space option on displays I use. My client prefers the default view. Even with More Space selected, the Neo feels very much like a one app at a time computer to me, which generally lines up with my client’s needs. I always set up a Hot Corner Shortcut with Mission Control to make window navigation easier, and that feels more necessary on the Neo in the default display mode.
Apple has a feature that allows you to click the wallpaper and move all open apps off of the screen. You can choose to do this all of the time, or only in Stage Manager. I don’t recommend Stage Manager to my clients, and I typically recommend turning off the click wallpaper to show desktop feature. In this case my client likes this fly away feature, and sees it as a bit of whimsy. Even though they prefer to keep the Dock and Menu Bar always visible. So we’ll leave it on.
Trackpad
The Neo has a different trackpad than other current MacBooks. From what I’d read previously I expected to feel more of a difference between it and the trackpad on the MacBook Air. There’s a difference certainly, but it doesn’t feel like that big of one to me. I moved back and forth between the two devices without even really thinking about it.
Notifications from iPhone
I mentioned an issue earlier with iPhone notifications flowing through to the MacBook Neo. This is a feature I use myself. It’s set up through iPhone Mirroring, which you have to open at least once in order to set up.
One of the nifty things about this feature is that you’re allowed to pick and choose which notifications flow through and those you block either on your iPhone, or on your Mac. If you choose to use this feature and set it up, you’ll see an option in your Mac’s settings to allow these notifications.
If you click on Allow Notifications from iPhone, you’ll be taken to another screen. Below the three Allow options here, you’ll see a list of any notifications you’re allowing to flow through or not from you iPhone, and whether you’ve turned them off on your iPhone or they are coming through from an app installed on your Mac. As a reference, the screenshot below is from my iMac.
On my client’s Neo, no apps appeared initially. The section above that begins with Acme Weather is blank on their Neo. There shouldn’t have been many. Regardless none were there. We called Apple Support and opened a ticket. Luckily on the first call we got a senior advisor who understood the issue. After doing some checking the situation turned into something Apple is really interested in tracking down. These are a new line of devices after all. So we were off into the land of running sysdiagnoses. We’re expecting a call back on Friday with any discoveries or solutions Apple may have come up with. Fortunately we have time still left in the return window.
At the Moment
In the opening paragraph of this post I also used the phrase “At the moment.” Two thoughts there.
First, as I’ve described my client, they are not a heavy laptop user. Those who might be looking into the MacBook Neo who are might have a different experience in both the short or long term. I’ve never yet met a computer that doesn’t slow down over time. I doubt the MacBook Neo will be any different. The difference in any performance degradation between the Neo and other Mac laptops is yet to be seen. My hunch is this first MacBook Neo will still be a winner for at least a few years, certainly if you’re a not a heavy user.
Second, the rumors are that the Neo is such a success that Apple might be running out of the binned A18Pro chips it’s using to power the MacBook Neo. Speculation on what happens if that’s true is rampant, and who really knows. Current demand has already caused a delay in shipping times, and I know that secondary retailers Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have plenty of signs, but very limited or no stock. My hunch here is that Apple will be selling MacBook Neos for quite some time, even though it might take you a while to get your hands on one.
Summing Up
To conclude, let me say that I’ve thought since Apple’s announcement of the MacBook Neo that it would prove to be a hit and a palpable one to the laptop market in general. In my brief experience setting up this one for my client and seeing their delight at the form factor, coupled with the high demand, I’ll more than double down on that thinking.
Personally, as I anticipate my computing needs becoming less in the more quickly than I’d like years to come, I could easily see myself relying on a MacBook Neo in the future.
You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.
#Apple #Mac #MacBook #MacBookNeo #macOS26 #Tech #technology -
Thoughts On The MacBook Neo
The MacBook Neo is a nice piece of kit. If you’re in the market the price is right, the build is very good, and in my first impressions the laptop is a delight. Any of the complaints and concerns you’ve probably read or heard from those who own more kitted out Macs can be easily dismissed. At the moment. I’d venture to say that for the vast majority of everyday computer users the MacBook Neo will be a nice fit.
One of the folks I support reached out and said they wanted to obtain one, so I picked one up and did the drudge work of installing the OS update and some of the initial setup last week. We later spent some time together getting it set up the way they like. Moving from an M1 MacBook Air bought in 2022, they opted for a Citrus colored 512GB model with TouchID. The good news is there’s no real learning curve for this client when it comes to features and using the device. There is no bad news.
When I say “in the market,” my client is what I consider one of the perfect customers for the MacBook Neo. A retired senior that began using a computer later in life, later jumping on the iPhone train with the iPhone 5.
They do most of their computing on an iPhone and use a laptop for email, messaging, shopping, FaceTime, and some occasional writing. Occasionally they use Photos on a MacBook Air to manage photos, but still do most of that on an iPhone.
Of the fancy new features Apple has released over the last few years the only one they really rely on is seeing notifications from their iPhone on their laptop screen when they are using the laptop. There’s a currently a problem with that, which I’ll address later.
Given their computing needs and desires, they could probably get by without a laptop, but due to decreased finger flexibility, they feel more comfortable using a laptop for apps like Messages and Apple Mail when they are home. The only thing they connect to a port is power.
Hardware
As to the device itself, it feels great and a bit whimsical. As a MacBook Air user (13-inch, M4) I have to say that I’d love to see the guts of the Air in this form factor. They weigh the same, and the Neo is slightly smaller, but it feels tinier and more totable. You give up a bit of screen real estate with the slightly smaller display, but there is no notch. Apple may have cut features now considered defaults on the MacBook Air, but it didn’t skimp on the look and feel quality. In my opinion that and the price point are what sells the device.
We’ve long since reached a point where computing devices, whether in traditional form, or smartphones and tablets, all come with so many features that even power users don’t need or use some of what’s possible. Innovation has always curved towards adding more possibilities, as it should. In my opinion, it’s a good thing to flatten the curve a bit, offering products that don’t need all the bells and whistles.
Color
Apple is taking larger steps towards bolder color choices these days, and the Citrus color scheme for the Neo certainly is another big stride into that orchard. I personally wasn’t that attracted to it when it was unveiled, but after having the Neo around for a bit, I have to say that it not only adds to the novelty, but makes the tool feel a bit more fun. At night under a desk lamp the damn thing gives off an almost otherworldly glow.
One of Apple’s trends of the last few years is to match up UI color schemes and themes with the color chosen for the hardware. Highlights, buttons, and some text reflect and complement the color of the shell. The tinted keyboard of the Neo takes that a further step forward on the fun factor scale. That said, the citrus Neo’s color scheme, bold as it is, often leaves some text harder to read, certainly for older eyes.
We settled on choosing the dark version of the Citrus wallpaper for my client to solve this.
Another example of hard to read text with this theme.
The A18 Pro Chip
Apple raised eyebrows announcing and releasing this new laptop powered by an iPhone chip. An older and binned A18 Pro chip. In my limited time with the Neo I haven’t noticed anything but good performance.
I’ve heard and read others state that the setup process was slower than they have experienced on M-series Apple laptops. That wasn’t my experience. Things moved along readily enough If you count the number of times you have to accept and click on permission popups as something that’s desirable in an out-of-the-box experience. But that’s unfortunately true of any of Apple’s computers.
Again, I’m experiencing this only through setting up and doing a few tutorials for my client, but the performance I’m seeing feels more than adequate to met their needs.
One thing I did notice throughout my hands on time is that the Neo takes longer to connect to a WiFi network than either my MacBook Air or iMac (both M4 devices.) In fact, it feels very much like how long an iPhone sometimes does connecting to WiFi when rebooting. That makes sense on a smartphone when a device immediately connects to a cell signal, but in an age when everything is expecting an Internet connection one way or another, (on setting up a new device one of the first things required is to establish a WiFi connection) it seems like there should be a way to not start reaching out on a previously set up, non-cellular device until after a connection is made.
Battery Life
Setting up any new computer or smartphone puts a load on battery life. That continues during the first day or so after initial setup as things sync up. After performing the first OS update I didn’t use the Neo much until after my client was with me, but even after continuing setup and tweaking a few things there was 68% battery life left. Time will tell how that goes, but given my client’s usage I don’t anticipate them having battery life issues.
Memory Management
Much was also made about the one size fits all 8GB memory cap, regardless of the storage model one chooses. My client doesn’t run a heavy load of applications or keep many tabs open, so I’m not the best judge of how good the swapping out of memory to the SSD works. Apple’s Unified Memory Architecture seems to be working as designed in my limited view. I do wonder how well it does with devices that only have a 256GB SSD if they contain a lot of data.
Screen Size
I prefer the More Space option on displays I use. My client prefers the default view. Even with More Space selected, the Neo feels very much like a one app at a time computer to me, which generally lines up with my client’s needs. I always set up a Hot Corner Shortcut with Mission Control to make window navigation easier, and that feels more necessary on the Neo in the default display mode.
Apple has a feature that allows you to click the wallpaper and move all open apps off of the screen. You can choose to do this all of the time, or only in Stage Manager. I don’t recommend Stage Manager to my clients, and I typically recommend turning off the click wallpaper to show desktop feature. In this case my client likes this fly away feature, and sees it as a bit of whimsy. Even though they prefer to keep the Dock and Menu Bar always visible. So we’ll leave it on.
Trackpad
The Neo has a different trackpad than other current MacBooks. From what I’d read previously I expected to feel more of a difference between it and the trackpad on the MacBook Air. There’s a difference certainly, but it doesn’t feel like that big of one to me. I moved back and forth between the two devices without even really thinking about it.
Notifications from iPhone
I mentioned an issue earlier with iPhone notifications flowing through to the MacBook Neo. This is a feature I use myself. It’s set up through iPhone Mirroring, which you have to open at least once in order to set up.
One of the nifty things about this feature is that you’re allowed to pick and choose which notifications flow through and those you block either on your iPhone, or on your Mac. If you choose to use this feature and set it up, you’ll see an option in your Mac’s settings to allow these notifications.
If you click on Allow Notifications from iPhone, you’ll be taken to another screen. Below the three Allow options here, you’ll see a list of any notifications you’re allowing to flow through or not from your iPhone, and whether you’ve turned them off on your iPhone, or they are coming through from an app installed on your Mac. As a reference, the screenshot below is from my iMac.
On my client’s Neo, no apps appeared initially. The section above that begins with Acme Weather is blank on their Neo. There shouldn’t have been many. Regardless none were there. We called Apple Support and opened a ticket. Luckily on the first call we got a senior advisor who understood the issue. After doing some checking the situation turned into something Apple is really interested in tracking down. These are a new line of devices after all. So we were off into the land of running sysdiagnoses. We’re expecting a call back on Friday with any discoveries or solutions Apple may have come up with. Fortunately we have time still left in the return window.
At the Moment
In the opening paragraph of this post I also used the phrase “At the moment.” Two thoughts there.
First, as I’ve described my client, they are not a heavy laptop user. Those who might be looking into the MacBook Neo who are, might have a different experience in both the short or long term. I’ve never yet met a computer that doesn’t slow down over time. I doubt the MacBook Neo will be any different. The difference in any performance degradation between the Neo and other Mac laptops is yet to be seen. My hunch is this first MacBook Neo will still be a winner for at least a few years, certainly if you’re a not a heavy user.
Second, the rumors are that the Neo is such a success that Apple might be running out of the binned A18Pro chips it’s using to power the MacBook Neo. Speculation on what happens if that’s true is rampant, and who really knows. Current demand has already caused a delay in shipping times, and I know that secondary retailers Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have plenty of signs, but very limited or no stock. My hunch here is that Apple will be selling MacBook Neos for quite some time, even though it might take you a while to get your hands on one.
Summing Up
To conclude, let me say that I’ve thought since Apple’s announcement of the MacBook Neo that it would prove to be a hit and a palpable one to the laptop market in general. In my brief experience setting up this one for my client and seeing their delight at the form factor, coupled with the high demand, I’ll more than double down on that thinking.
Personally, as I anticipate my computing needs becoming less in the more quickly than I’d like years to come, I could easily see myself relying on a MacBook Neo in the future.
You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.
#Mac #MacBook #MacBookNeo #macOS26 #technology -
Thoughts On The MacBook NEO
The MacBook Neo is a nice piece of kit. If you’re in the market the price is right, the build is very good, and in my first impressions the laptop is a delight. Any of the complaints and concerns you’ve probably read or heard from those who own more kitted out Macs can be easily dismissed. At the moment. I’d venture to say that for the vast majority of everyday computer users the MacBook Neo will be a nice fit.
One of the folks I support reached out and said they wanted to obtain one, so I picked one up and did the drudge work of installing the OS update and some of the initial setup last week. We later spent some time together getting it set up the way they like. Moving from an M1 MacBook Air bought in 2022, they opted for a Citrus colored 512GB model with TouchID. The good news is there’s no real learning curve for this client when it comes to features and using the device. There is no bad news.
When I say “in the market,” my client is what I consider one of the perfect customers for the MacBook Neo. A retired senior that began using a computer later in life, later jumping on the iPhone train with the iPhone 5.
They do most of their computing on an iPhone and use a laptop for email, messaging, shopping, FaceTime, and some occasional writing. Occasionally they use Photos on a MacBook Air to manage photos, but still do most of that on an iPhone.
Of the fancy new features Apple has released over the last few years the only one they really rely on is seeing notifications from their iPhone on their laptop screen when they are using the laptop. There’s a currently a problem with that, which I’ll address later.
Given their computing needs and desires, they could probably get by without a laptop, but due to decreased finger flexibility, they feel more comfortable using a laptop for apps like Messages and Apple Mail when they are home. The only thing they connect to a port is power.
Hardware
As to the device itself, it feels great and a bit whimsical. As a MacBook Air user (13-inch, M4) I have to say that I’d love to see the guts of the Air in this form factor. They weigh the same, and the Neo is slightly smaller, but it feels tinier and more totable. You give up a bit of screen real estate with the slightly smaller display, but there is no notch. Apple may have cut features now considered defaults on the MacBook Air, but it didn’t skimp on the look and feel quality. In my opinion that and the price point are what sells the device.
We’ve long since reached a point where computing devices, whether in traditional form, or smartphones and tablets, all come with so many features that even power users don’t need or use some of what’s possible. Innovation has always curved towards adding more possibilities, as it should. In my opinion, it’s a good thing to flatten the curve a bit, offering products that don’t need all the bells and whistles.
Color
Apple is taking larger steps towards bolder color choices these days, and the Citrus color scheme for the Neo certainly is another big stride into that orchard. I personally wasn’t that attracted to it when it was unveiled, but after having the Neo around for a bit, I have to say that it not only adds to the novelty, but makes the tool feel a bit more fun. At night under a desk lamp the damn thing gives off an almost otherworldly glow.
One of Apple’s trends of the last few years is to match up UI color schemes and themes with the color chosen for the hardware. Highlights, buttons, and some text reflect and complement the color of the shell. The tinted keyboard of the Neo takes that a further step forward on the fun factor scale. That said, the citrus Neo’s color scheme, bold as it is, often leaves some text harder to read, certainly for older eyes.
We settled on choosing the dark version of the Citrus wallpaper for my client to solve this.
The A18 Pro Chip
Apple raised eyebrows announcing and releasing this new laptop powered by an iPhone chip. An older and binned A18 Pro chip. In my limited time with the Neo I haven’t noticed anything but good performance.
I’ve heard and read others state that the setup process was slower than they have experienced on M-series Apple laptops. That wasn’t my experience. Things moved along readily enough If you count the number of times you have to accept and click on permission popups as something that’s desirable in an out-of-the-box experience. But that’s unfortunately true of any of Apple’s computers.
Again, I’m experiencing this only through setting up and doing a few tutorials for my client, but the performance I’m seeing feels more than adequate to met their needs.
One thing I did notice throughout my hands on time is that the Neo takes longer to connect to a WiFi network than either my MacBook Air or iMac (both M4 devices.) In fact, it feels very much like how long an iPhone sometimes does connecting to WiFi when rebooting. That makes sense on a smartphone when a device immediately connects to a cell signal, but in an age when everything is expecting an Internet connection one way or another, (on setting up a new device one of the first things required is to establish a WiFi connection) it seems like there should be a way to not start reaching out on a previously set up, non-cellular device until after a connection is made.
Battery Life
Setting up any new computer or smartphone puts a load on battery life. That continues during the first day or so after initial setup as things sync up. After performing the first OS update I didn’t use the Neo much until after my client was with me, but even after continuing setup and tweaking a few things there was 68% battery life left. Time will tell how that goes, but given my client’s usage I don’t anticipate them having battery life issues.
Memory Management
Much was also made about the one size fits all 8GB memory cap, regardless of the storage model one chooses. My client doesn’t run a heavy load of applications or keep many tabs open, so I’m not the best judge of how good the swapping out of memory to the SSD works. Apple’s Unified Memory Architecture seems to be working as designed in my limited view. I do wonder how well it does with devices that only have a 256GB SSD if they contain a lot of data.
Screen Size
I prefer the More Space option on displays I use. My client prefers the default view. Even with More Space selected, the Neo feels very much like a one app at a time computer to me, which generally lines up with my client’s needs. I always set up a Hot Corner Shortcut with Mission Control to make window navigation easier, and that feels more necessary on the Neo in the default display mode.
Apple has a feature that allows you to click the wallpaper and move all open apps off of the screen. You can choose to do this all of the time, or only in Stage Manager. I don’t recommend Stage Manager to my clients, and I typically recommend turning off the click wallpaper to show desktop feature. In this case my client likes this fly away feature, and sees it as a bit of whimsy. Even though they prefer to keep the Dock and Menu Bar always visible. So we’ll leave it on.
Trackpad
The Neo has a different trackpad than other current MacBooks. From what I’d read previously I expected to feel more of a difference between it and the trackpad on the MacBook Air. There’s a difference certainly, but it doesn’t feel like that big of one to me. I moved back and forth between the two devices without even really thinking about it.
Notifications from iPhone
I mentioned an issue earlier with iPhone notifications flowing through to the MacBook Neo. This is a feature I use myself. It’s set up through iPhone Mirroring, which you have to open at least once in order to set up.
One of the nifty things about this feature is that you’re allowed to pick and choose which notifications flow through and those you block either on your iPhone, or on your Mac. If you choose to use this feature and set it up, you’ll see an option in your Mac’s settings to allow these notifications.
If you click on Allow Notifications from iPhone, you’ll be taken to another screen. Below the three Allow options here, you’ll see a list of any notifications you’re allowing to flow through or not from you iPhone, and whether you’ve turned them off on your iPhone or they are coming through from an app installed on your Mac. As a reference, the screenshot below is from my iMac.
On my client’s Neo, no apps appeared initially. The section above that begins with Acme Weather is blank on their Neo. There shouldn’t have been many. Regardless none were there. We called Apple Support and opened a ticket. Luckily on the first call we got a senior advisor who understood the issue. After doing some checking the situation turned into something Apple is really interested in tracking down. These are a new line of devices after all. So we were off into the land of running sysdiagnoses. We’re expecting a call back on Friday with any discoveries or solutions Apple may have come up with. Fortunately we have time still left in the return window.
At the Moment
In the opening paragraph of this post I also used the phrase “At the moment.” Two thoughts there.
First, as I’ve described my client, they are not a heavy laptop user. Those who might be looking into the MacBook Neo who are might have a different experience in both the short or long term. I’ve never yet met a computer that doesn’t slow down over time. I doubt the MacBook Neo will be any different. The difference in any performance degradation between the Neo and other Mac laptops is yet to be seen. My hunch is this first MacBook Neo will still be a winner for at least a few years, certainly if you’re a not a heavy user.
Second, the rumors are that the Neo is such a success that Apple might be running out of the binned A18Pro chips it’s using to power the MacBook Neo. Speculation on what happens if that’s true is rampant, and who really knows. Current demand has already caused a delay in shipping times, and I know that secondary retailers Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have plenty of signs, but very limited or no stock. My hunch here is that Apple will be selling MacBook Neos for quite some time, even though it might take you a while to get your hands on one.
Summing Up
To conclude, let me say that I’ve thought since Apple’s announcement of the MacBook Neo that it would prove to be a hit and a palpable one to the laptop market in general. In my brief experience setting up this one for my client and seeing their delight at the form factor, coupled with the high demand, I’ll more than double down on that thinking.
Personally, as I anticipate my computing needs becoming less in the more quickly than I’d like years to come, I could easily see myself relying on a MacBook Neo in the future.
You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.
#Apple #Mac #MacBook #MacBookNeo #macOS26 #Tech #technology -
Lazy Caturday Reads: Scandals Galore!
Good Afternoon!!
By Mary Cassatt, 1883-84
The negotiations about the proposed cease fire in the Iran war are expected to begin soon, but meanwhile the news in the U.S. is suddenly filled with scandalous stories.
Yesterday, Dakinikat wrote about Melania Trump’s mysterious announcement to the White House press; I have a bit more context to add to that. Then last night the news about serious accusations of sexual misconduct by Eric Swalwell broke. There’s also news about Kristy Noem’s husband and his identity crisis.
I’ll get to those items, but I want to begin with a feel-good story for once.
Marcia Dunn at AP: Artemis II’s record-breaking journey around the moon ends with dramatic splashdown.
HOUSTON (AP) — Artemis II’s astronauts closed out humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century with a Pacific splashdown on Friday, blazing new records near the moon with grace and joy.
It was a dramatic grand finale to a mission that revealed not only swaths of the lunar far side never seen before by human eyes, but a total solar eclipse and a parade of planets, most notably our own shimmering Earth against the endless black void of space.
With their flight now complete, the four astronauts have set NASA up for a moon landing by another crew in just two years and a full-blown moon base within the decade.
The triumphant moon-farers — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — emerged from their bobbing capsule into the sunlight off the coast of San Diego.
In a scene reminiscent of NASA’s Apollo moonshots of yesteryear, military helicopters hoisted the astronauts one by one from an inflatable raft docked to the capsule, hauling them aboard for the short trip to the Navy’s awaiting recovery ship, the USS John P. Murtha.
“These were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that we sent out there right now, and I can’t imagine a better crew,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said from the recovery ship.
NASA’s Mission Control erupted in celebration, with hundreds pouring in from the back support rooms. “We did it,” NASA’s Lori Glaze rejoiced at a news conference. “Welcome to our moonshot.”
Read more at the AP link.
Now for the feel-disgusted news about Eric Swalwell. Based on what I’ve read, it’s surprising that this didn’t come out sooner. Apparently, he’s been DM young women, sending dick picks, and sexually assaulting women for years.
A former staffer of Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for California governor, says that the congressman raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and left her bruised and bleeding, an allegation Swalwell strongly denies.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman told CNN of the incident, which she said happened in 2024 after she had stopped working in Swalwell’s office. “He didn’t stop.”
By Francesca Strino
She said it was the second time Swalwell had nonconsensual sexual contact with her while she was drunk. In 2019, when she was still working for him, she said she woke up naked with him in a hotel room after a night of heavy drinking. She said she had no memory of what happened but could feel physically that they’d had sexual contact.
Three other women who spoke with CNN also alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by the Democratic congressman – including Swalwell sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.
One woman who connected online with Swalwell over her interest in Democratic politics says she ended up extremely drunk inside his hotel room after a night out with the congressman, with little memory of what occurred. Earlier in the night at a bar, he kissed her and touched her leg without her consent, she said.
Another woman, who described receiving unsolicited nude messages from Swalwell, was social media creator Ally Sammarco. She said she initially reached out to the congressman on Twitter to discuss politics. “I truly never thought he would respond – I had like 1,000 followers at the time,” she said. “And he actually responded.”
Swalwell denied the women’s allegations.
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” Swalwell said in a statement to CNN. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
I don’t think that’s going to work. These are not subtle accusations, and the women told others about their experiences at the time. Sammarco saved the messages she got from Swallwell. A bit more from CNN:
One member of Swalwell’s staff said they quit immediately after receiving CNN’s detailed list of questions about the allegations.
CNN found corroboration for key elements of each of the women’s claims, including the former staffer who said she was sexually assaulted. Two family members and a friend said in interviews with CNN that she told them about the alleged 2024 assault in the following days, and CNN also reviewed text messages she sent two friends describing her allegations at the same time. “I was sexually assaulted on Thursday,” she wrote to one of her friends, adding: “By Eric.”
The woman also shared medical records related to her receiving STD and pregnancy testing after the alleged assault.
For the woman who connected online with Swalwell over Democratic politics, a family member and two friends confirmed she told them last year about the incident where she ended up intoxicated in his hotel room. CNN also reviewed messages between her and Swalwell, including a photo he sent her that matches footage of him during a CNN interview in her city on the night they met in person.
There’s still more at the link.
Politico: Jeffries, Pelosi and other Democrats call on Eric Swalwell to end governor campaign.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi headlined a growing list of Democratic lawmakers called on Rep. Eric Swalwell Friday to withdraw his campaign for California governor amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Lily Walton with Raminou, 1922, by Suzanne Valadon
“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
In a joint statement with other elected House Democratic leaders, Jeffries called for a “swift investigation” as well as the end of his pending campaign.
“This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously,” the leaders said.The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a former congressional aide accused the congressman of two sexual encounters without her consent, beginning in 2019. CNN later reported that four women allege that Swalwell has committed sexual misconduct, including one former staffer who accuses Swalwell of rape….
Key backers of Swalwell’s governor bid swiftly revoked their support after the Chronicle’s story was published, including Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and Adam Gray (D-Calif.), who served as campaign co-chairs.
“Today’s reports about Eric Swalwell’s conduct while in office are deeply disturbing,” Gray said in a statement. “Harassment, abuse, and violence of any sort are unacceptable. Given these serious allegations, I am withdrawing my support and Eric Swalwell should end his campaign immediately.”
But nothing underscored the peril for Swalwell’s nearly two-decade political career as vividly as Pelosi’s statement. The former speaker included Swalwell in her inner circle of favored Democratic members for years, tapping him for junior leadership roles and to serve as a manager in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021.
Read the rest at the link.
The Melania Trump story might have stayed on social media if she hadn’t decided to make a public statement at the lectern that is supposed to be reserved for the POTUS. But it’s out there now, and she will have to deal with it.
It began with a disturbing story in The New York Times on March 20: Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child.
Last June, the man credited with introducing President Trump to his wife asked the administration for a favor.
Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent turned presidential special envoy, had learned that his Brazilian ex-girlfriend was in a Miami jail, arrested on charges of fraud at her workplace. They had been in a custody battle over their teenage son. Now he saw an opportunity.
Eduard Manet, Woman with a Cat, 1880
He reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, explaining that his ex was in the country illegally, according to records obtained by The New York Times and a person familiar with the communications. Could she be put in ICE detention? That could help him get his son back.
The official, David Venturella, promptly called the agency’s Miami office to ensure that ICE agents would pick up the woman from the jail before she was released on bail, according to the records and a person with knowledge of the conversation who requested anonymity to discuss it. During the call, Mr. Venturella noted that the case was important to someone close to the White House.
The woman, Amanda Ungaro, was placed in ICE custody and ultimately deported, an outcome that may well have happened regardless of Mr. Zampolli’s meddling. But the ICE official’s willingness to spring into action for a Trump ally — even one in a low-level, largely ceremonial role — reflects a recurring theme of the second Trump administration: The levers of the federal government can be pulled to settle a personal score.
I read this story when it was published, but I didn’t make the connections I should have.
Amanda Ungaro is on X AKA Twitter, and she is fighting back. If you have access, you can read the many tweets she has been sending to Melania.
Melania is apparently sensitive about how she came to the U.S. In fact Zampolli is the one who brought her here and got her an H1-B visa. When she first arrived, she moved into a building occupied by other models who worked for Zampolli’s agency. It looks like Melania has really stepped in it. The Epstein files are back in the news.
From Julie K. Brown, the journalist who originally wrote about Epstein in The Miami Herald, at her Substack The Epstein Files: Could a former Brazilian model be the whistleblower Melania Trump is afraid of?
The First Lady’s unprecedented public statement about Jeffrey Epstein yesterday raised a lot of questions about what, if anything, is about to be revealed about Donald and Melania Trump’s relationship with the late sex trafficker.
The Epstein case had quieted down in the wake of Trump’s decision to attack Iran — some critics allege that was one of Trump’s goals in launching a war in the first place — to cool the MAGA furor over DOJ’s inept release of the Epstein files.
Now it seems that plan, if true, has led to a Jack-In-The-Beanstalk effect — as in trading a cow for beans and climbing into danger without really thinking it through.
Because there is another story that I admit I missed when it ran in the New York Times a few weeks ago.
It appears that the Trump administration may have targeted Zampolli’s ex-girlfriend, a former Brazilian model named Amanda Ungaro, deporting her back to Brazil amid her custody battle with Zampolli over their teenage son.
As the NYT’s story notes: “The levers of the federal government can be pulled to settle a personal score.”
Self-Portrait with a Cat, created by Frida Konstantin
In this case, the score involved Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent who was appointed last year by Trump as special envoy for “global partnerships,” which allows him to travel the world to advance trade and other partnerships with the U.S.
Just days ago, he was in Hungary with Vice President Vance, supporting the re-election of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an effort to publicly back the right-wing leader in the days running up to the election.
Zampolli, 56, was in Epstein’s orbit around the time that Trump met Melania in 1998. He was also friends with Epstein, as the two entertained a business deal over buying a modeling agency.
And Zampolli’s name is in the Epstein Files, with Epstein noting in one email that he was “trouble.”
Still all the drama surrounding Zampolli’s custody battle with his estranged girlfriend didn’t connect any dots, at least not for me, until the First Lady’s speech yesterday.
Read the rest at the link.
The New York Times has another piece about Melania’s statement today: Trump Says First Lady ‘Had a Right’ to Talk About Epstein.
President Trump said Friday that he had known his wife wanted to speak about Jeffrey Epstein at some point, and that he “thought she had a right to talk about it,” even if he had not known what exactly she planned to say.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Mr. Trump said in a brief telephone interview, referring to the remarks Melania Trump made from the entrance hall of the White House a day earlier.
“I didn’t know what the statement was,” he said, “but I knew she was going to make a statement.”
The first lady’s comments certainly came as a surprise to many other people who work in the White House, according to two officials familiar with the situation who asked for anonymity to discuss the matter. It was not clear why she had chosen that moment to talk about Mr. Epstein. Absent any explanation, questions and feverish conspiracy theories swirled.
The president said his wife had been agonizing for a long time over her press coverage and rumors connecting her to Mr. Epstein. What was particularly upsetting to her, Mr. Trump explained, was one theory positing that it was Mr. Epstein who introduced her to her future husband. In her remarks on Thursday, Mrs. Trump recounted the story of meeting Mr. Trump “by chance at a New York City party in 1998.” She said she did not encounter Mr. Epstein for the first time until two years after that.
“She finds it very insulting,” Mr. Trump said of the rumors. “And I said, ‘If you want to do that, you can do that.’ I said if she wants to do it — I didn’t recommend it, but I said, I let it be her, I said, if you want to do it. …”
He added, “She didn’t meet me through Jeffrey Epstein. And I could understand her feelings. But I said, ‘If you want to do it, do it.’”
He would not say when exactly he had this discussion with the first lady, but said that “it wasn’t a big discussion. I’d say it lasted for about two minutes. I had no problem. I thought she actually did a good job.”
He’s lying, obviously. I doubt if she told him. Now she has revived interest in the Epstein files and Trump can’t be happy about that.
The Black Cat, by Carl Wilhelm Wilhelmson , 1922, Swedish, 1866-1928
The last scandal for today–the Kristi Noem story. The story was originally in the Daily Mail, but it’s behind a paywall.
The Independent: Kristi Noem’s husband offers cryptic three-word answer to report that he talked about leaving wife and becoming a woman.
Kristi Noem’s husband, Bryon Noem, has pushed back on a report that he insulted his wife in phone calls and online messages with a dominatrix and expressed a desire to become a woman.
Bryon Noem told The Independent the claims in the report were “not all true.” He did not elaborate when asked for more information.
The 56-year-old was reported to have been in an on-off relationship online with Shy Sotomayor, a 30-year-old sex worker known as Raelynn Riley, since 2016, she claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail, published Friday.
It is the latest in a series of exposés on the husband of the recently ousted Homeland Security Secretary, who has been keeping a low profile since the story broke last week.
Sotomayor shared recordings of phone calls and screenshots of messages she said she exchanged with Bryon Noem, where he said she was “so much better” than his wife. He also expressed wanting to transition to become a woman, the messages showed.
In one recent message, the South Dakota insurance boss said he wanted to change his name to Crystal “so bad,” and that he wanted plastic surgery. “I want to be your trans bimbo b****,” the messages showed.
The outlet linked Bryon Noem’s telephone number to the messages with Sotomayor, and it also corresponded to an email address under the pseudonym “Chrystalballz666.”
The messages reportedly from Bryon Noem appear in stark contrast to Kristi Noem’s opposition to transgender rights. As South Dakota governor, she signed an exclusionary bill to ban surgical and non-surgical gender-affirming treatments for children in the state, and barred transgender girls and women from playing on women’s sports teams.
Read the rest at The Independent.
There’s no news on the Iran talks yet, so I’ll end this with two disturbing Iran stories:
The New York Times: Iran Unable to Find Mines It Planted in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Says.
Iran has been unable to open the Strait of Hormuz to more shipping traffic because it cannot locate all of the mines it laid in the waterway and lacks the capability to remove them, according to U.S. officials.
The development is one reason Iran has not been able to quickly comply with the Trump administration’s admonitions to let more traffic pass through the strait. It is also potentially a complicating factor as Iranian negotiators and a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance meet in Pakistan this weekend for peace talks.
Woman with a cat, Pierre Bonnard
Iran used small boats to mine the strait last month, soon after the United States and Israel began their war against the country. The mines, plus the threat of Iranian drone and missile attacks, slowed the number of oil tankers and other vessels passing through the strait to a trickle, driving up energy prices and providing Iran with its best leverage in the war.
Iran left a path through the strait open, allowing ships that pay a toll to pass through.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has issued warnings that ships could collide with sea mines, and semiofficial news organizations have published charts showing safe routes.
Those routes are limited in large part because Iran mined the strait haphazardly, U.S. officials said. It is not clear that Iran recorded where it put every mine. And even when the location was recorded, some mines were placed in a way that allowed them to drift or move, according to the officials.
As with land mines, removing nautical mines is far more difficult than placing them. The U.S. military lacks robust mine removal capabilities, relying on littoral combat ships equipped with mine sweeping capabilities. Iran also does not have the capability of quickly removing mines, even the ones it planted.
Raw Story: Hegseth’s key Iran claim collapses as US intel finds Iran has thousands of missiles.
One of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s main defenses of the U.S. decision to negotiate a controversial ceasefire with Iran is that its ballistic missile program has been “functionally destroyed.”
But that claim has now been shot down by U.S. intelligence assessments, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
“Iran still has thousands of ballistic missiles in its arsenal that it could use by retrieving launchers from underground storage areas, according to American officials familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments,” said the report. “The assessments come as the U.S. is working to cement a cease-fire that would fully open the Strait of Hormuz and also insulate Iran, American troops and states in the region from further attacks. Some American officials said they are concerned that Iran will use the break in fighting to reconstitute some of its missile arsenal.”
The conflict has taken a toll on Iran, with around half of its missile stockpile lost, the assessment found — but “it retains thousands of medium- and short-range ballistic missiles that could be pulled out of hiding or retrieved from underground sites, said U.S. and Israeli officials.”
This comes as even a number of Republican and conservative analysts are crying foul about the terms of the ceasefire, which appear one-sidedly in favor of Iran.
That’s it for me today. I guess it’s okay to focus on salacious stuff on the weekend. Happy Caturday!
#AmandaUngaro #ArtemisII #BryonNoem #catArt #caturday #DonaldTrump #EpsteinFiles #EricSwalwell #IranWar #IranSBallisticMissles #JeffreyEpstein #KristiNoem #MelaniaTrump #mines #NASA #PaoloZampolli #politicalScandals #rape #sexualAssault #StraitOfHormuz -
Lazy Caturday Reads: Scandals Galore!
Good Afternoon!!
By Mary Cassatt, 1883-84
The negotiations about the proposed cease fire in the Iran war are expected to begin soon, but meanwhile the news in the U.S. is suddenly filled with scandalous stories.
Yesterday, Dakinikat wrote about Melania Trump’s mysterious announcement to the White House press; I have a bit more context to add to that. Then last night the news about serious accusations of sexual misconduct by Eric Swalwell broke. There’s also news about Kristy Noem’s husband and his identity crisis.
I’ll get to those items, but I want to begin with a feel-good story for once.
Marcia Dunn at AP: Artemis II’s record-breaking journey around the moon ends with dramatic splashdown.
HOUSTON (AP) — Artemis II’s astronauts closed out humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century with a Pacific splashdown on Friday, blazing new records near the moon with grace and joy.
It was a dramatic grand finale to a mission that revealed not only swaths of the lunar far side never seen before by human eyes, but a total solar eclipse and a parade of planets, most notably our own shimmering Earth against the endless black void of space.
With their flight now complete, the four astronauts have set NASA up for a moon landing by another crew in just two years and a full-blown moon base within the decade.
The triumphant moon-farers — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — emerged from their bobbing capsule into the sunlight off the coast of San Diego.
In a scene reminiscent of NASA’s Apollo moonshots of yesteryear, military helicopters hoisted the astronauts one by one from an inflatable raft docked to the capsule, hauling them aboard for the short trip to the Navy’s awaiting recovery ship, the USS John P. Murtha.
“These were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that we sent out there right now, and I can’t imagine a better crew,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said from the recovery ship.
NASA’s Mission Control erupted in celebration, with hundreds pouring in from the back support rooms. “We did it,” NASA’s Lori Glaze rejoiced at a news conference. “Welcome to our moonshot.”
Read more at the AP link.
Now for the feel-disgusted news about Eric Swalwell. Based on what I’ve read, it’s surprising that this didn’t come out sooner. Apparently, he’s been DM young women, sending dick picks, and sexually assaulting women for years.
A former staffer of Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for California governor, says that the congressman raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and left her bruised and bleeding, an allegation Swalwell strongly denies.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman told CNN of the incident, which she said happened in 2024 after she had stopped working in Swalwell’s office. “He didn’t stop.”
By Francesca Strino
She said it was the second time Swalwell had nonconsensual sexual contact with her while she was drunk. In 2019, when she was still working for him, she said she woke up naked with him in a hotel room after a night of heavy drinking. She said she had no memory of what happened but could feel physically that they’d had sexual contact.
Three other women who spoke with CNN also alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by the Democratic congressman – including Swalwell sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.
One woman who connected online with Swalwell over her interest in Democratic politics says she ended up extremely drunk inside his hotel room after a night out with the congressman, with little memory of what occurred. Earlier in the night at a bar, he kissed her and touched her leg without her consent, she said.
Another woman, who described receiving unsolicited nude messages from Swalwell, was social media creator Ally Sammarco. She said she initially reached out to the congressman on Twitter to discuss politics. “I truly never thought he would respond – I had like 1,000 followers at the time,” she said. “And he actually responded.”
Swalwell denied the women’s allegations.
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” Swalwell said in a statement to CNN. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
I don’t think that’s going to work. These are not subtle accusations, and the women told others about their experiences at the time. Sammarco saved the messages she got from Swallwell. A bit more from CNN:
One member of Swalwell’s staff said they quit immediately after receiving CNN’s detailed list of questions about the allegations.
CNN found corroboration for key elements of each of the women’s claims, including the former staffer who said she was sexually assaulted. Two family members and a friend said in interviews with CNN that she told them about the alleged 2024 assault in the following days, and CNN also reviewed text messages she sent two friends describing her allegations at the same time. “I was sexually assaulted on Thursday,” she wrote to one of her friends, adding: “By Eric.”
The woman also shared medical records related to her receiving STD and pregnancy testing after the alleged assault.
For the woman who connected online with Swalwell over Democratic politics, a family member and two friends confirmed she told them last year about the incident where she ended up intoxicated in his hotel room. CNN also reviewed messages between her and Swalwell, including a photo he sent her that matches footage of him during a CNN interview in her city on the night they met in person.
There’s still more at the link.
Politico: Jeffries, Pelosi and other Democrats call on Eric Swalwell to end governor campaign.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi headlined a growing list of Democratic lawmakers called on Rep. Eric Swalwell Friday to withdraw his campaign for California governor amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Lily Walton with Raminou, 1922, by Suzanne Valadon
“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
In a joint statement with other elected House Democratic leaders, Jeffries called for a “swift investigation” as well as the end of his pending campaign.
“This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously,” the leaders said.The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a former congressional aide accused the congressman of two sexual encounters without her consent, beginning in 2019. CNN later reported that four women allege that Swalwell has committed sexual misconduct, including one former staffer who accuses Swalwell of rape….
Key backers of Swalwell’s governor bid swiftly revoked their support after the Chronicle’s story was published, including Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and Adam Gray (D-Calif.), who served as campaign co-chairs.
“Today’s reports about Eric Swalwell’s conduct while in office are deeply disturbing,” Gray said in a statement. “Harassment, abuse, and violence of any sort are unacceptable. Given these serious allegations, I am withdrawing my support and Eric Swalwell should end his campaign immediately.”
But nothing underscored the peril for Swalwell’s nearly two-decade political career as vividly as Pelosi’s statement. The former speaker included Swalwell in her inner circle of favored Democratic members for years, tapping him for junior leadership roles and to serve as a manager in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021.
Read the rest at the link.
The Melania Trump story might have stayed on social media if she hadn’t decided to make a public statement at the lectern that is supposed to be reserved for the POTUS. But it’s out there now, and she will have to deal with it.
It began with a disturbing story in The New York Times on March 20: Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child.
Last June, the man credited with introducing President Trump to his wife asked the administration for a favor.
Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent turned presidential special envoy, had learned that his Brazilian ex-girlfriend was in a Miami jail, arrested on charges of fraud at her workplace. They had been in a custody battle over their teenage son. Now he saw an opportunity.
Eduard Manet, Woman with a Cat, 1880
He reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, explaining that his ex was in the country illegally, according to records obtained by The New York Times and a person familiar with the communications. Could she be put in ICE detention? That could help him get his son back.
The official, David Venturella, promptly called the agency’s Miami office to ensure that ICE agents would pick up the woman from the jail before she was released on bail, according to the records and a person with knowledge of the conversation who requested anonymity to discuss it. During the call, Mr. Venturella noted that the case was important to someone close to the White House.
The woman, Amanda Ungaro, was placed in ICE custody and ultimately deported, an outcome that may well have happened regardless of Mr. Zampolli’s meddling. But the ICE official’s willingness to spring into action for a Trump ally — even one in a low-level, largely ceremonial role — reflects a recurring theme of the second Trump administration: The levers of the federal government can be pulled to settle a personal score.
I read this story when it was published, but I didn’t make the connections I should have.
Amanda Ungaro is on X AKA Twitter, and she is fighting back. If you have access, you can read the many tweets she has been sending to Melania.
Melania is apparently sensitive about how she came to the U.S. In fact Zampolli is the one who brought her here and got her an H1-B visa. When she first arrived, she moved into a building occupied by other models who worked for Zampolli’s agency. It looks like Melania has really stepped in it. The Epstein files are back in the news.
From Julie K. Brown, the journalist who originally wrote about Epstein in The Miami Herald, at her Substack The Epstein Files: Could a former Brazilian model be the whistleblower Melania Trump is afraid of?
The First Lady’s unprecedented public statement about Jeffrey Epstein yesterday raised a lot of questions about what, if anything, is about to be revealed about Donald and Melania Trump’s relationship with the late sex trafficker.
The Epstein case had quieted down in the wake of Trump’s decision to attack Iran — some critics allege that was one of Trump’s goals in launching a war in the first place — to cool the MAGA furor over DOJ’s inept release of the Epstein files.
Now it seems that plan, if true, has led to a Jack-In-The-Beanstalk effect — as in trading a cow for beans and climbing into danger without really thinking it through.
Because there is another story that I admit I missed when it ran in the New York Times a few weeks ago.
It appears that the Trump administration may have targeted Zampolli’s ex-girlfriend, a former Brazilian model named Amanda Ungaro, deporting her back to Brazil amid her custody battle with Zampolli over their teenage son.
As the NYT’s story notes: “The levers of the federal government can be pulled to settle a personal score.”
Self-Portrait with a Cat, created by Frida Konstantin
In this case, the score involved Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent who was appointed last year by Trump as special envoy for “global partnerships,” which allows him to travel the world to advance trade and other partnerships with the U.S.
Just days ago, he was in Hungary with Vice President Vance, supporting the re-election of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an effort to publicly back the right-wing leader in the days running up to the election.
Zampolli, 56, was in Epstein’s orbit around the time that Trump met Melania in 1998. He was also friends with Epstein, as the two entertained a business deal over buying a modeling agency.
And Zampolli’s name is in the Epstein Files, with Epstein noting in one email that he was “trouble.”
Still all the drama surrounding Zampolli’s custody battle with his estranged girlfriend didn’t connect any dots, at least not for me, until the First Lady’s speech yesterday.
Read the rest at the link.
The New York Times has another piece about Melania’s statement today: Trump Says First Lady ‘Had a Right’ to Talk About Epstein.
President Trump said Friday that he had known his wife wanted to speak about Jeffrey Epstein at some point, and that he “thought she had a right to talk about it,” even if he had not known what exactly she planned to say.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Mr. Trump said in a brief telephone interview, referring to the remarks Melania Trump made from the entrance hall of the White House a day earlier.
“I didn’t know what the statement was,” he said, “but I knew she was going to make a statement.”
The first lady’s comments certainly came as a surprise to many other people who work in the White House, according to two officials familiar with the situation who asked for anonymity to discuss the matter. It was not clear why she had chosen that moment to talk about Mr. Epstein. Absent any explanation, questions and feverish conspiracy theories swirled.
The president said his wife had been agonizing for a long time over her press coverage and rumors connecting her to Mr. Epstein. What was particularly upsetting to her, Mr. Trump explained, was one theory positing that it was Mr. Epstein who introduced her to her future husband. In her remarks on Thursday, Mrs. Trump recounted the story of meeting Mr. Trump “by chance at a New York City party in 1998.” She said she did not encounter Mr. Epstein for the first time until two years after that.
“She finds it very insulting,” Mr. Trump said of the rumors. “And I said, ‘If you want to do that, you can do that.’ I said if she wants to do it — I didn’t recommend it, but I said, I let it be her, I said, if you want to do it. …”
He added, “She didn’t meet me through Jeffrey Epstein. And I could understand her feelings. But I said, ‘If you want to do it, do it.’”
He would not say when exactly he had this discussion with the first lady, but said that “it wasn’t a big discussion. I’d say it lasted for about two minutes. I had no problem. I thought she actually did a good job.”
He’s lying, obviously. I doubt if she told him. Now she has revived interest in the Epstein files and Trump can’t be happy about that.
The Black Cat, by Carl Wilhelm Wilhelmson , 1922, Swedish, 1866-1928
The last scandal for today–the Kristi Noem story. The story was originally in the Daily Mail, but it’s behind a paywall.
The Independent: Kristi Noem’s husband offers cryptic three-word answer to report that he talked about leaving wife and becoming a woman.
Kristi Noem’s husband, Bryon Noem, has pushed back on a report that he insulted his wife in phone calls and online messages with a dominatrix and expressed a desire to become a woman.
Bryon Noem told The Independent the claims in the report were “not all true.” He did not elaborate when asked for more information.
The 56-year-old was reported to have been in an on-off relationship online with Shy Sotomayor, a 30-year-old sex worker known as Raelynn Riley, since 2016, she claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail, published Friday.
It is the latest in a series of exposés on the husband of the recently ousted Homeland Security Secretary, who has been keeping a low profile since the story broke last week.
Sotomayor shared recordings of phone calls and screenshots of messages she said she exchanged with Bryon Noem, where he said she was “so much better” than his wife. He also expressed wanting to transition to become a woman, the messages showed.
In one recent message, the South Dakota insurance boss said he wanted to change his name to Crystal “so bad,” and that he wanted plastic surgery. “I want to be your trans bimbo b****,” the messages showed.
The outlet linked Bryon Noem’s telephone number to the messages with Sotomayor, and it also corresponded to an email address under the pseudonym “Chrystalballz666.”
The messages reportedly from Bryon Noem appear in stark contrast to Kristi Noem’s opposition to transgender rights. As South Dakota governor, she signed an exclusionary bill to ban surgical and non-surgical gender-affirming treatments for children in the state, and barred transgender girls and women from playing on women’s sports teams.
Read the rest at The Independent.
There’s no news on the Iran talks yet, so I’ll end this with two disturbing Iran stories:
The New York Times: Iran Unable to Find Mines It Planted in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Says.
Iran has been unable to open the Strait of Hormuz to more shipping traffic because it cannot locate all of the mines it laid in the waterway and lacks the capability to remove them, according to U.S. officials.
The development is one reason Iran has not been able to quickly comply with the Trump administration’s admonitions to let more traffic pass through the strait. It is also potentially a complicating factor as Iranian negotiators and a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance meet in Pakistan this weekend for peace talks.
Woman with a cat, Pierre Bonnard
Iran used small boats to mine the strait last month, soon after the United States and Israel began their war against the country. The mines, plus the threat of Iranian drone and missile attacks, slowed the number of oil tankers and other vessels passing through the strait to a trickle, driving up energy prices and providing Iran with its best leverage in the war.
Iran left a path through the strait open, allowing ships that pay a toll to pass through.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has issued warnings that ships could collide with sea mines, and semiofficial news organizations have published charts showing safe routes.
Those routes are limited in large part because Iran mined the strait haphazardly, U.S. officials said. It is not clear that Iran recorded where it put every mine. And even when the location was recorded, some mines were placed in a way that allowed them to drift or move, according to the officials.
As with land mines, removing nautical mines is far more difficult than placing them. The U.S. military lacks robust mine removal capabilities, relying on littoral combat ships equipped with mine sweeping capabilities. Iran also does not have the capability of quickly removing mines, even the ones it planted.
Raw Story: Hegseth’s key Iran claim collapses as US intel finds Iran has thousands of missiles.
One of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s main defenses of the U.S. decision to negotiate a controversial ceasefire with Iran is that its ballistic missile program has been “functionally destroyed.”
But that claim has now been shot down by U.S. intelligence assessments, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
“Iran still has thousands of ballistic missiles in its arsenal that it could use by retrieving launchers from underground storage areas, according to American officials familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments,” said the report. “The assessments come as the U.S. is working to cement a cease-fire that would fully open the Strait of Hormuz and also insulate Iran, American troops and states in the region from further attacks. Some American officials said they are concerned that Iran will use the break in fighting to reconstitute some of its missile arsenal.”
The conflict has taken a toll on Iran, with around half of its missile stockpile lost, the assessment found — but “it retains thousands of medium- and short-range ballistic missiles that could be pulled out of hiding or retrieved from underground sites, said U.S. and Israeli officials.”
This comes as even a number of Republican and conservative analysts are crying foul about the terms of the ceasefire, which appear one-sidedly in favor of Iran.
That’s it for me today. I guess it’s okay to focus on salacious stuff on the weekend. Happy Caturday!
#AmandaUngaro #ArtemisII #BryonNoem #catArt #caturday #DonaldTrump #EpsteinFiles #EricSwalwell #IranWar #IranSBallisticMissles #JeffreyEpstein #KristiNoem #MelaniaTrump #mines #NASA #PaoloZampolli #politicalScandals #rape #sexualAssault #StraitOfHormuz -
Lazy Caturday Reads: Scandals Galore!
Good Afternoon!!
By Mary Cassatt, 1883-84
The negotiations about the proposed cease fire in the Iran war are expected to begin soon, but meanwhile the news in the U.S. is suddenly filled with scandalous stories.
Yesterday, Dakinikat wrote about Melania Trump’s mysterious announcement to the White House press; I have a bit more context to add to that. Then last night the news about serious accusations of sexual misconduct by Eric Swalwell broke. There’s also news about Kristy Noem’s husband and his identity crisis.
I’ll get to those items, but I want to begin with a feel-good story for once.
Marcia Dunn at AP: Artemis II’s record-breaking journey around the moon ends with dramatic splashdown.
HOUSTON (AP) — Artemis II’s astronauts closed out humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century with a Pacific splashdown on Friday, blazing new records near the moon with grace and joy.
It was a dramatic grand finale to a mission that revealed not only swaths of the lunar far side never seen before by human eyes, but a total solar eclipse and a parade of planets, most notably our own shimmering Earth against the endless black void of space.
With their flight now complete, the four astronauts have set NASA up for a moon landing by another crew in just two years and a full-blown moon base within the decade.
The triumphant moon-farers — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — emerged from their bobbing capsule into the sunlight off the coast of San Diego.
In a scene reminiscent of NASA’s Apollo moonshots of yesteryear, military helicopters hoisted the astronauts one by one from an inflatable raft docked to the capsule, hauling them aboard for the short trip to the Navy’s awaiting recovery ship, the USS John P. Murtha.
“These were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that we sent out there right now, and I can’t imagine a better crew,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said from the recovery ship.
NASA’s Mission Control erupted in celebration, with hundreds pouring in from the back support rooms. “We did it,” NASA’s Lori Glaze rejoiced at a news conference. “Welcome to our moonshot.”
Read more at the AP link.
Now for the feel-disgusted news about Eric Swalwell. Based on what I’ve read, it’s surprising that this didn’t come out sooner. Apparently, he’s been DM young women, sending dick picks, and sexually assaulting women for years.
A former staffer of Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for California governor, says that the congressman raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and left her bruised and bleeding, an allegation Swalwell strongly denies.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman told CNN of the incident, which she said happened in 2024 after she had stopped working in Swalwell’s office. “He didn’t stop.”
By Francesca Strino
She said it was the second time Swalwell had nonconsensual sexual contact with her while she was drunk. In 2019, when she was still working for him, she said she woke up naked with him in a hotel room after a night of heavy drinking. She said she had no memory of what happened but could feel physically that they’d had sexual contact.
Three other women who spoke with CNN also alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by the Democratic congressman – including Swalwell sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.
One woman who connected online with Swalwell over her interest in Democratic politics says she ended up extremely drunk inside his hotel room after a night out with the congressman, with little memory of what occurred. Earlier in the night at a bar, he kissed her and touched her leg without her consent, she said.
Another woman, who described receiving unsolicited nude messages from Swalwell, was social media creator Ally Sammarco. She said she initially reached out to the congressman on Twitter to discuss politics. “I truly never thought he would respond – I had like 1,000 followers at the time,” she said. “And he actually responded.”
Swalwell denied the women’s allegations.
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” Swalwell said in a statement to CNN. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
I don’t think that’s going to work. These are not subtle accusations, and the women told others about their experiences at the time. Sammarco saved the messages she got from Swallwell. A bit more from CNN:
One member of Swalwell’s staff said they quit immediately after receiving CNN’s detailed list of questions about the allegations.
CNN found corroboration for key elements of each of the women’s claims, including the former staffer who said she was sexually assaulted. Two family members and a friend said in interviews with CNN that she told them about the alleged 2024 assault in the following days, and CNN also reviewed text messages she sent two friends describing her allegations at the same time. “I was sexually assaulted on Thursday,” she wrote to one of her friends, adding: “By Eric.”
The woman also shared medical records related to her receiving STD and pregnancy testing after the alleged assault.
For the woman who connected online with Swalwell over Democratic politics, a family member and two friends confirmed she told them last year about the incident where she ended up intoxicated in his hotel room. CNN also reviewed messages between her and Swalwell, including a photo he sent her that matches footage of him during a CNN interview in her city on the night they met in person.
There’s still more at the link.
Politico: Jeffries, Pelosi and other Democrats call on Eric Swalwell to end governor campaign.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi headlined a growing list of Democratic lawmakers called on Rep. Eric Swalwell Friday to withdraw his campaign for California governor amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Lily Walton with Raminou, 1922, by Suzanne Valadon
“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
In a joint statement with other elected House Democratic leaders, Jeffries called for a “swift investigation” as well as the end of his pending campaign.
“This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously,” the leaders said.The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a former congressional aide accused the congressman of two sexual encounters without her consent, beginning in 2019. CNN later reported that four women allege that Swalwell has committed sexual misconduct, including one former staffer who accuses Swalwell of rape….
Key backers of Swalwell’s governor bid swiftly revoked their support after the Chronicle’s story was published, including Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and Adam Gray (D-Calif.), who served as campaign co-chairs.
“Today’s reports about Eric Swalwell’s conduct while in office are deeply disturbing,” Gray said in a statement. “Harassment, abuse, and violence of any sort are unacceptable. Given these serious allegations, I am withdrawing my support and Eric Swalwell should end his campaign immediately.”
But nothing underscored the peril for Swalwell’s nearly two-decade political career as vividly as Pelosi’s statement. The former speaker included Swalwell in her inner circle of favored Democratic members for years, tapping him for junior leadership roles and to serve as a manager in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021.
Read the rest at the link.
The Melania Trump story might have stayed on social media if she hadn’t decided to make a public statement at the lectern that is supposed to be reserved for the POTUS. But it’s out there now, and she will have to deal with it.
It began with a disturbing story in The New York Times on March 20: Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child.
Last June, the man credited with introducing President Trump to his wife asked the administration for a favor.
Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent turned presidential special envoy, had learned that his Brazilian ex-girlfriend was in a Miami jail, arrested on charges of fraud at her workplace. They had been in a custody battle over their teenage son. Now he saw an opportunity.
Eduard Manet, Woman with a Cat, 1880
He reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, explaining that his ex was in the country illegally, according to records obtained by The New York Times and a person familiar with the communications. Could she be put in ICE detention? That could help him get his son back.
The official, David Venturella, promptly called the agency’s Miami office to ensure that ICE agents would pick up the woman from the jail before she was released on bail, according to the records and a person with knowledge of the conversation who requested anonymity to discuss it. During the call, Mr. Venturella noted that the case was important to someone close to the White House.
The woman, Amanda Ungaro, was placed in ICE custody and ultimately deported, an outcome that may well have happened regardless of Mr. Zampolli’s meddling. But the ICE official’s willingness to spring into action for a Trump ally — even one in a low-level, largely ceremonial role — reflects a recurring theme of the second Trump administration: The levers of the federal government can be pulled to settle a personal score.
I read this story when it was published, but I didn’t make the connections I should have.
Amanda Ungaro is on X AKA Twitter, and she is fighting back. If you have access, you can read the many tweets she has been sending to Melania.
Melania is apparently sensitive about how she came to the U.S. In fact Zampolli is the one who brought her here and got her an H1-B visa. When she first arrived, she moved into a building occupied by other models who worked for Zampolli’s agency. It looks like Melania has really stepped in it. The Epstein files are back in the news.
From Julie K. Brown, the journalist who originally wrote about Epstein in The Miami Herald, at her Substack The Epstein Files: Could a former Brazilian model be the whistleblower Melania Trump is afraid of?
The First Lady’s unprecedented public statement about Jeffrey Epstein yesterday raised a lot of questions about what, if anything, is about to be revealed about Donald and Melania Trump’s relationship with the late sex trafficker.
The Epstein case had quieted down in the wake of Trump’s decision to attack Iran — some critics allege that was one of Trump’s goals in launching a war in the first place — to cool the MAGA furor over DOJ’s inept release of the Epstein files.
Now it seems that plan, if true, has led to a Jack-In-The-Beanstalk effect — as in trading a cow for beans and climbing into danger without really thinking it through.
Because there is another story that I admit I missed when it ran in the New York Times a few weeks ago.
It appears that the Trump administration may have targeted Zampolli’s ex-girlfriend, a former Brazilian model named Amanda Ungaro, deporting her back to Brazil amid her custody battle with Zampolli over their teenage son.
As the NYT’s story notes: “The levers of the federal government can be pulled to settle a personal score.”
Self-Portrait with a Cat, created by Frida Konstantin
In this case, the score involved Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent who was appointed last year by Trump as special envoy for “global partnerships,” which allows him to travel the world to advance trade and other partnerships with the U.S.
Just days ago, he was in Hungary with Vice President Vance, supporting the re-election of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an effort to publicly back the right-wing leader in the days running up to the election.
Zampolli, 56, was in Epstein’s orbit around the time that Trump met Melania in 1998. He was also friends with Epstein, as the two entertained a business deal over buying a modeling agency.
And Zampolli’s name is in the Epstein Files, with Epstein noting in one email that he was “trouble.”
Still all the drama surrounding Zampolli’s custody battle with his estranged girlfriend didn’t connect any dots, at least not for me, until the First Lady’s speech yesterday.
Read the rest at the link.
The New York Times has another piece about Melania’s statement today: Trump Says First Lady ‘Had a Right’ to Talk About Epstein.
President Trump said Friday that he had known his wife wanted to speak about Jeffrey Epstein at some point, and that he “thought she had a right to talk about it,” even if he had not known what exactly she planned to say.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Mr. Trump said in a brief telephone interview, referring to the remarks Melania Trump made from the entrance hall of the White House a day earlier.
“I didn’t know what the statement was,” he said, “but I knew she was going to make a statement.”
The first lady’s comments certainly came as a surprise to many other people who work in the White House, according to two officials familiar with the situation who asked for anonymity to discuss the matter. It was not clear why she had chosen that moment to talk about Mr. Epstein. Absent any explanation, questions and feverish conspiracy theories swirled.
The president said his wife had been agonizing for a long time over her press coverage and rumors connecting her to Mr. Epstein. What was particularly upsetting to her, Mr. Trump explained, was one theory positing that it was Mr. Epstein who introduced her to her future husband. In her remarks on Thursday, Mrs. Trump recounted the story of meeting Mr. Trump “by chance at a New York City party in 1998.” She said she did not encounter Mr. Epstein for the first time until two years after that.
“She finds it very insulting,” Mr. Trump said of the rumors. “And I said, ‘If you want to do that, you can do that.’ I said if she wants to do it — I didn’t recommend it, but I said, I let it be her, I said, if you want to do it. …”
He added, “She didn’t meet me through Jeffrey Epstein. And I could understand her feelings. But I said, ‘If you want to do it, do it.’”
He would not say when exactly he had this discussion with the first lady, but said that “it wasn’t a big discussion. I’d say it lasted for about two minutes. I had no problem. I thought she actually did a good job.”
He’s lying, obviously. I doubt if she told him. Now she has revived interest in the Epstein files and Trump can’t be happy about that.
The Black Cat, by Carl Wilhelm Wilhelmson , 1922, Swedish, 1866-1928
The last scandal for today–the Kristi Noem story. The story was originally in the Daily Mail, but it’s behind a paywall.
The Independent: Kristi Noem’s husband offers cryptic three-word answer to report that he talked about leaving wife and becoming a woman.
Kristi Noem’s husband, Bryon Noem, has pushed back on a report that he insulted his wife in phone calls and online messages with a dominatrix and expressed a desire to become a woman.
Bryon Noem told The Independent the claims in the report were “not all true.” He did not elaborate when asked for more information.
The 56-year-old was reported to have been in an on-off relationship online with Shy Sotomayor, a 30-year-old sex worker known as Raelynn Riley, since 2016, she claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail, published Friday.
It is the latest in a series of exposés on the husband of the recently ousted Homeland Security Secretary, who has been keeping a low profile since the story broke last week.
Sotomayor shared recordings of phone calls and screenshots of messages she said she exchanged with Bryon Noem, where he said she was “so much better” than his wife. He also expressed wanting to transition to become a woman, the messages showed.
In one recent message, the South Dakota insurance boss said he wanted to change his name to Crystal “so bad,” and that he wanted plastic surgery. “I want to be your trans bimbo b****,” the messages showed.
The outlet linked Bryon Noem’s telephone number to the messages with Sotomayor, and it also corresponded to an email address under the pseudonym “Chrystalballz666.”
The messages reportedly from Bryon Noem appear in stark contrast to Kristi Noem’s opposition to transgender rights. As South Dakota governor, she signed an exclusionary bill to ban surgical and non-surgical gender-affirming treatments for children in the state, and barred transgender girls and women from playing on women’s sports teams.
Read the rest at The Independent.
There’s no news on the Iran talks yet, so I’ll end this with two disturbing Iran stories:
The New York Times: Iran Unable to Find Mines It Planted in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Says.
Iran has been unable to open the Strait of Hormuz to more shipping traffic because it cannot locate all of the mines it laid in the waterway and lacks the capability to remove them, according to U.S. officials.
The development is one reason Iran has not been able to quickly comply with the Trump administration’s admonitions to let more traffic pass through the strait. It is also potentially a complicating factor as Iranian negotiators and a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance meet in Pakistan this weekend for peace talks.
Woman with a cat, Pierre Bonnard
Iran used small boats to mine the strait last month, soon after the United States and Israel began their war against the country. The mines, plus the threat of Iranian drone and missile attacks, slowed the number of oil tankers and other vessels passing through the strait to a trickle, driving up energy prices and providing Iran with its best leverage in the war.
Iran left a path through the strait open, allowing ships that pay a toll to pass through.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has issued warnings that ships could collide with sea mines, and semiofficial news organizations have published charts showing safe routes.
Those routes are limited in large part because Iran mined the strait haphazardly, U.S. officials said. It is not clear that Iran recorded where it put every mine. And even when the location was recorded, some mines were placed in a way that allowed them to drift or move, according to the officials.
As with land mines, removing nautical mines is far more difficult than placing them. The U.S. military lacks robust mine removal capabilities, relying on littoral combat ships equipped with mine sweeping capabilities. Iran also does not have the capability of quickly removing mines, even the ones it planted.
Raw Story: Hegseth’s key Iran claim collapses as US intel finds Iran has thousands of missiles.
One of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s main defenses of the U.S. decision to negotiate a controversial ceasefire with Iran is that its ballistic missile program has been “functionally destroyed.”
But that claim has now been shot down by U.S. intelligence assessments, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
“Iran still has thousands of ballistic missiles in its arsenal that it could use by retrieving launchers from underground storage areas, according to American officials familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments,” said the report. “The assessments come as the U.S. is working to cement a cease-fire that would fully open the Strait of Hormuz and also insulate Iran, American troops and states in the region from further attacks. Some American officials said they are concerned that Iran will use the break in fighting to reconstitute some of its missile arsenal.”
The conflict has taken a toll on Iran, with around half of its missile stockpile lost, the assessment found — but “it retains thousands of medium- and short-range ballistic missiles that could be pulled out of hiding or retrieved from underground sites, said U.S. and Israeli officials.”
This comes as even a number of Republican and conservative analysts are crying foul about the terms of the ceasefire, which appear one-sidedly in favor of Iran.
That’s it for me today. I guess it’s okay to focus on salacious stuff on the weekend. Happy Caturday!
#AmandaUngaro #ArtemisII #BryonNoem #catArt #caturday #DonaldTrump #EpsteinFiles #EricSwalwell #IranWar #IranSBallisticMissles #JeffreyEpstein #KristiNoem #MelaniaTrump #mines #NASA #PaoloZampolli #politicalScandals #rape #sexualAssault #StraitOfHormuz -
Lazy Caturday Reads: Scandals Galore!
Good Afternoon!!
By Mary Cassatt, 1883-84
The negotiations about the proposed cease fire in the Iran war are expected to begin soon, but meanwhile the news in the U.S. is suddenly filled with scandalous stories.
Yesterday, Dakinikat wrote about Melania Trump’s mysterious announcement to the White House press; I have a bit more context to add to that. Then last night the news about serious accusations of sexual misconduct by Eric Swalwell broke. There’s also news about Kristy Noem’s husband and his identity crisis.
I’ll get to those items, but I want to begin with a feel-good story for once.
Marcia Dunn at AP: Artemis II’s record-breaking journey around the moon ends with dramatic splashdown.
HOUSTON (AP) — Artemis II’s astronauts closed out humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century with a Pacific splashdown on Friday, blazing new records near the moon with grace and joy.
It was a dramatic grand finale to a mission that revealed not only swaths of the lunar far side never seen before by human eyes, but a total solar eclipse and a parade of planets, most notably our own shimmering Earth against the endless black void of space.
With their flight now complete, the four astronauts have set NASA up for a moon landing by another crew in just two years and a full-blown moon base within the decade.
The triumphant moon-farers — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — emerged from their bobbing capsule into the sunlight off the coast of San Diego.
In a scene reminiscent of NASA’s Apollo moonshots of yesteryear, military helicopters hoisted the astronauts one by one from an inflatable raft docked to the capsule, hauling them aboard for the short trip to the Navy’s awaiting recovery ship, the USS John P. Murtha.
“These were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that we sent out there right now, and I can’t imagine a better crew,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said from the recovery ship.
NASA’s Mission Control erupted in celebration, with hundreds pouring in from the back support rooms. “We did it,” NASA’s Lori Glaze rejoiced at a news conference. “Welcome to our moonshot.”
Read more at the AP link.
Now for the feel-disgusted news about Eric Swalwell. Based on what I’ve read, it’s surprising that this didn’t come out sooner. Apparently, he’s been DM young women, sending dick picks, and sexually assaulting women for years.
A former staffer of Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for California governor, says that the congressman raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and left her bruised and bleeding, an allegation Swalwell strongly denies.
“I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” the woman told CNN of the incident, which she said happened in 2024 after she had stopped working in Swalwell’s office. “He didn’t stop.”
By Francesca Strino
She said it was the second time Swalwell had nonconsensual sexual contact with her while she was drunk. In 2019, when she was still working for him, she said she woke up naked with him in a hotel room after a night of heavy drinking. She said she had no memory of what happened but could feel physically that they’d had sexual contact.
Three other women who spoke with CNN also alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by the Democratic congressman – including Swalwell sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.
One woman who connected online with Swalwell over her interest in Democratic politics says she ended up extremely drunk inside his hotel room after a night out with the congressman, with little memory of what occurred. Earlier in the night at a bar, he kissed her and touched her leg without her consent, she said.
Another woman, who described receiving unsolicited nude messages from Swalwell, was social media creator Ally Sammarco. She said she initially reached out to the congressman on Twitter to discuss politics. “I truly never thought he would respond – I had like 1,000 followers at the time,” she said. “And he actually responded.”
Swalwell denied the women’s allegations.
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” Swalwell said in a statement to CNN. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
I don’t think that’s going to work. These are not subtle accusations, and the women told others about their experiences at the time. Sammarco saved the messages she got from Swallwell. A bit more from CNN:
One member of Swalwell’s staff said they quit immediately after receiving CNN’s detailed list of questions about the allegations.
CNN found corroboration for key elements of each of the women’s claims, including the former staffer who said she was sexually assaulted. Two family members and a friend said in interviews with CNN that she told them about the alleged 2024 assault in the following days, and CNN also reviewed text messages she sent two friends describing her allegations at the same time. “I was sexually assaulted on Thursday,” she wrote to one of her friends, adding: “By Eric.”
The woman also shared medical records related to her receiving STD and pregnancy testing after the alleged assault.
For the woman who connected online with Swalwell over Democratic politics, a family member and two friends confirmed she told them last year about the incident where she ended up intoxicated in his hotel room. CNN also reviewed messages between her and Swalwell, including a photo he sent her that matches footage of him during a CNN interview in her city on the night they met in person.
There’s still more at the link.
Politico: Jeffries, Pelosi and other Democrats call on Eric Swalwell to end governor campaign.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi headlined a growing list of Democratic lawmakers called on Rep. Eric Swalwell Friday to withdraw his campaign for California governor amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Lily Walton with Raminou, 1922, by Suzanne Valadon
“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
In a joint statement with other elected House Democratic leaders, Jeffries called for a “swift investigation” as well as the end of his pending campaign.
“This is unacceptable of anyone — certainly not an elected official — and must be taken seriously,” the leaders said.The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a former congressional aide accused the congressman of two sexual encounters without her consent, beginning in 2019. CNN later reported that four women allege that Swalwell has committed sexual misconduct, including one former staffer who accuses Swalwell of rape….
Key backers of Swalwell’s governor bid swiftly revoked their support after the Chronicle’s story was published, including Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and Adam Gray (D-Calif.), who served as campaign co-chairs.
“Today’s reports about Eric Swalwell’s conduct while in office are deeply disturbing,” Gray said in a statement. “Harassment, abuse, and violence of any sort are unacceptable. Given these serious allegations, I am withdrawing my support and Eric Swalwell should end his campaign immediately.”
But nothing underscored the peril for Swalwell’s nearly two-decade political career as vividly as Pelosi’s statement. The former speaker included Swalwell in her inner circle of favored Democratic members for years, tapping him for junior leadership roles and to serve as a manager in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021.
Read the rest at the link.
The Melania Trump story might have stayed on social media if she hadn’t decided to make a public statement at the lectern that is supposed to be reserved for the POTUS. But it’s out there now, and she will have to deal with it.
It began with a disturbing story in The New York Times on March 20: Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child.
Last June, the man credited with introducing President Trump to his wife asked the administration for a favor.
Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent turned presidential special envoy, had learned that his Brazilian ex-girlfriend was in a Miami jail, arrested on charges of fraud at her workplace. They had been in a custody battle over their teenage son. Now he saw an opportunity.
Eduard Manet, Woman with a Cat, 1880
He reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, explaining that his ex was in the country illegally, according to records obtained by The New York Times and a person familiar with the communications. Could she be put in ICE detention? That could help him get his son back.
The official, David Venturella, promptly called the agency’s Miami office to ensure that ICE agents would pick up the woman from the jail before she was released on bail, according to the records and a person with knowledge of the conversation who requested anonymity to discuss it. During the call, Mr. Venturella noted that the case was important to someone close to the White House.
The woman, Amanda Ungaro, was placed in ICE custody and ultimately deported, an outcome that may well have happened regardless of Mr. Zampolli’s meddling. But the ICE official’s willingness to spring into action for a Trump ally — even one in a low-level, largely ceremonial role — reflects a recurring theme of the second Trump administration: The levers of the federal government can be pulled to settle a personal score.
I read this story when it was published, but I didn’t make the connections I should have.
Amanda Ungaro is on X AKA Twitter, and she is fighting back. If you have access, you can read the many tweets she has been sending to Melania.
Melania is apparently sensitive about how she came to the U.S. In fact Zampolli is the one who brought her here and got her an H1-B visa. When she first arrived, she moved into a building occupied by other models who worked for Zampolli’s agency. It looks like Melania has really stepped in it. The Epstein files are back in the news.
From Julie K. Brown, the journalist who originally wrote about Epstein in The Miami Herald, at her Substack The Epstein Files: Could a former Brazilian model be the whistleblower Melania Trump is afraid of?
The First Lady’s unprecedented public statement about Jeffrey Epstein yesterday raised a lot of questions about what, if anything, is about to be revealed about Donald and Melania Trump’s relationship with the late sex trafficker.
The Epstein case had quieted down in the wake of Trump’s decision to attack Iran — some critics allege that was one of Trump’s goals in launching a war in the first place — to cool the MAGA furor over DOJ’s inept release of the Epstein files.
Now it seems that plan, if true, has led to a Jack-In-The-Beanstalk effect — as in trading a cow for beans and climbing into danger without really thinking it through.
Because there is another story that I admit I missed when it ran in the New York Times a few weeks ago.
It appears that the Trump administration may have targeted Zampolli’s ex-girlfriend, a former Brazilian model named Amanda Ungaro, deporting her back to Brazil amid her custody battle with Zampolli over their teenage son.
As the NYT’s story notes: “The levers of the federal government can be pulled to settle a personal score.”
Self-Portrait with a Cat, created by Frida Konstantin
In this case, the score involved Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent who was appointed last year by Trump as special envoy for “global partnerships,” which allows him to travel the world to advance trade and other partnerships with the U.S.
Just days ago, he was in Hungary with Vice President Vance, supporting the re-election of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an effort to publicly back the right-wing leader in the days running up to the election.
Zampolli, 56, was in Epstein’s orbit around the time that Trump met Melania in 1998. He was also friends with Epstein, as the two entertained a business deal over buying a modeling agency.
And Zampolli’s name is in the Epstein Files, with Epstein noting in one email that he was “trouble.”
Still all the drama surrounding Zampolli’s custody battle with his estranged girlfriend didn’t connect any dots, at least not for me, until the First Lady’s speech yesterday.
Read the rest at the link.
The New York Times has another piece about Melania’s statement today: Trump Says First Lady ‘Had a Right’ to Talk About Epstein.
President Trump said Friday that he had known his wife wanted to speak about Jeffrey Epstein at some point, and that he “thought she had a right to talk about it,” even if he had not known what exactly she planned to say.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Mr. Trump said in a brief telephone interview, referring to the remarks Melania Trump made from the entrance hall of the White House a day earlier.
“I didn’t know what the statement was,” he said, “but I knew she was going to make a statement.”
The first lady’s comments certainly came as a surprise to many other people who work in the White House, according to two officials familiar with the situation who asked for anonymity to discuss the matter. It was not clear why she had chosen that moment to talk about Mr. Epstein. Absent any explanation, questions and feverish conspiracy theories swirled.
The president said his wife had been agonizing for a long time over her press coverage and rumors connecting her to Mr. Epstein. What was particularly upsetting to her, Mr. Trump explained, was one theory positing that it was Mr. Epstein who introduced her to her future husband. In her remarks on Thursday, Mrs. Trump recounted the story of meeting Mr. Trump “by chance at a New York City party in 1998.” She said she did not encounter Mr. Epstein for the first time until two years after that.
“She finds it very insulting,” Mr. Trump said of the rumors. “And I said, ‘If you want to do that, you can do that.’ I said if she wants to do it — I didn’t recommend it, but I said, I let it be her, I said, if you want to do it. …”
He added, “She didn’t meet me through Jeffrey Epstein. And I could understand her feelings. But I said, ‘If you want to do it, do it.’”
He would not say when exactly he had this discussion with the first lady, but said that “it wasn’t a big discussion. I’d say it lasted for about two minutes. I had no problem. I thought she actually did a good job.”
He’s lying, obviously. I doubt if she told him. Now she has revived interest in the Epstein files and Trump can’t be happy about that.
The Black Cat, by Carl Wilhelm Wilhelmson , 1922, Swedish, 1866-1928
The last scandal for today–the Kristi Noem story. The story was originally in the Daily Mail, but it’s behind a paywall.
The Independent: Kristi Noem’s husband offers cryptic three-word answer to report that he talked about leaving wife and becoming a woman.
Kristi Noem’s husband, Bryon Noem, has pushed back on a report that he insulted his wife in phone calls and online messages with a dominatrix and expressed a desire to become a woman.
Bryon Noem told The Independent the claims in the report were “not all true.” He did not elaborate when asked for more information.
The 56-year-old was reported to have been in an on-off relationship online with Shy Sotomayor, a 30-year-old sex worker known as Raelynn Riley, since 2016, she claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail, published Friday.
It is the latest in a series of exposés on the husband of the recently ousted Homeland Security Secretary, who has been keeping a low profile since the story broke last week.
Sotomayor shared recordings of phone calls and screenshots of messages she said she exchanged with Bryon Noem, where he said she was “so much better” than his wife. He also expressed wanting to transition to become a woman, the messages showed.
In one recent message, the South Dakota insurance boss said he wanted to change his name to Crystal “so bad,” and that he wanted plastic surgery. “I want to be your trans bimbo b****,” the messages showed.
The outlet linked Bryon Noem’s telephone number to the messages with Sotomayor, and it also corresponded to an email address under the pseudonym “Chrystalballz666.”
The messages reportedly from Bryon Noem appear in stark contrast to Kristi Noem’s opposition to transgender rights. As South Dakota governor, she signed an exclusionary bill to ban surgical and non-surgical gender-affirming treatments for children in the state, and barred transgender girls and women from playing on women’s sports teams.
Read the rest at The Independent.
There’s no news on the Iran talks yet, so I’ll end this with two disturbing Iran stories:
The New York Times: Iran Unable to Find Mines It Planted in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Says.
Iran has been unable to open the Strait of Hormuz to more shipping traffic because it cannot locate all of the mines it laid in the waterway and lacks the capability to remove them, according to U.S. officials.
The development is one reason Iran has not been able to quickly comply with the Trump administration’s admonitions to let more traffic pass through the strait. It is also potentially a complicating factor as Iranian negotiators and a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance meet in Pakistan this weekend for peace talks.
Woman with a cat, Pierre Bonnard
Iran used small boats to mine the strait last month, soon after the United States and Israel began their war against the country. The mines, plus the threat of Iranian drone and missile attacks, slowed the number of oil tankers and other vessels passing through the strait to a trickle, driving up energy prices and providing Iran with its best leverage in the war.
Iran left a path through the strait open, allowing ships that pay a toll to pass through.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has issued warnings that ships could collide with sea mines, and semiofficial news organizations have published charts showing safe routes.
Those routes are limited in large part because Iran mined the strait haphazardly, U.S. officials said. It is not clear that Iran recorded where it put every mine. And even when the location was recorded, some mines were placed in a way that allowed them to drift or move, according to the officials.
As with land mines, removing nautical mines is far more difficult than placing them. The U.S. military lacks robust mine removal capabilities, relying on littoral combat ships equipped with mine sweeping capabilities. Iran also does not have the capability of quickly removing mines, even the ones it planted.
Raw Story: Hegseth’s key Iran claim collapses as US intel finds Iran has thousands of missiles.
One of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s main defenses of the U.S. decision to negotiate a controversial ceasefire with Iran is that its ballistic missile program has been “functionally destroyed.”
But that claim has now been shot down by U.S. intelligence assessments, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
“Iran still has thousands of ballistic missiles in its arsenal that it could use by retrieving launchers from underground storage areas, according to American officials familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments,” said the report. “The assessments come as the U.S. is working to cement a cease-fire that would fully open the Strait of Hormuz and also insulate Iran, American troops and states in the region from further attacks. Some American officials said they are concerned that Iran will use the break in fighting to reconstitute some of its missile arsenal.”
The conflict has taken a toll on Iran, with around half of its missile stockpile lost, the assessment found — but “it retains thousands of medium- and short-range ballistic missiles that could be pulled out of hiding or retrieved from underground sites, said U.S. and Israeli officials.”
This comes as even a number of Republican and conservative analysts are crying foul about the terms of the ceasefire, which appear one-sidedly in favor of Iran.
That’s it for me today. I guess it’s okay to focus on salacious stuff on the weekend. Happy Caturday!
#AmandaUngaro #ArtemisII #BryonNoem #catArt #caturday #DonaldTrump #EpsteinFiles #EricSwalwell #IranWar #IranSBallisticMissles #JeffreyEpstein #KristiNoem #MelaniaTrump #mines #NASA #PaoloZampolli #politicalScandals #rape #sexualAssault #StraitOfHormuz -
Megan McArthur lascia la NASA
Al termine di una carriera durata oltre vent’anni, Megan McArthur lascia la NASA.
Con alle spalle due missioni spaziali che le hanno permesso di totalizzare 213 giorni nello spazio, Megan detiene anche due primati: è stata la prima donna a pilotare una capsula Dragon di SpaceX e l’ultima persona a “toccare”, seppur con il braccio robotico Canadarm dello Space Shuttle, il telescopio spaziale Hubble.
McArthur è stata il pilota della missione Crew-2 a bordo della Dragon Endeavour, che SpaceX ha lanciato per conto della NASA il 23 aprile 2021. Si è trattata della sua seconda (ed ultima) missione spaziale e della sua prima ed unica missione di lunga durata sulla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale. Nel corso di questa missione di 200 giorni, Megan è stata ingegnere del volo per Expedition 65, svolgendo una vasta quantità di esperimenti scientifici relativi alla salute, alle scienze dei materiali e alla robotica.
In questa foto del 3 giugno 2021, Megan McArthur, ingegnere di volo per Expedition 65 carica le piastre per la cristallografia proteica con soluzioni di proteine per l’esperimento Real-time Protein Crystal Growth. Questo studio biotecnologico serve a dimostrare nuovi metodi per la produzione di cristalli proteici di elevata qualità in microgravità. Questi risultati possono essere utili per identificare nuovi obiettivi di ricerca e per sviluppare farmaci migliori per il trattamento di alcune specifiche malattie. Credit: NASA/FlickrLa sua prima missione spaziale è stata STS-125 (Servicing Mission 4 – SM4) dello Space Shuttle Atlantis, partita l’11 maggio 2009 alla volta del telescopio Hubble. Nelle vesti di specialista di missione, McArthur ha avuto la responsabilità di manipolare il telescopio orbitale con il braccio robotico della navetta e di fornire supporto durante le cinque attività extraveicolari necessarie alla riparazione e all’aggiornamento di Hubble. Inoltre, l’astronauta statunitense ha anche fornito supporto alle operazioni a bordo della navetta durante il lancio, l’avvicinamento al telescopio e l’atterraggio.
Megan McArthur Mission Specialist (MS2) della missione STS-125 posa per una foto il 17 maggio 2009, mentre è al lavoro con il braccio robotico Canadarm (Shuttle Remote Manipulator System – SRMS) dal ponte di coda dell’Atlantis durante le attività del Flight Day 7 Credit: NASA/Flickr«L’attenta leadership di Megan, la sua eccellenza a livello operativo e il suo totale e profondo impegno per la scienza e l’esplorazione, hanno avuto un impatto duraturo», ha commentato Steve Koerner, direttore ad interim del Johnson Space Center della NASA a Houston. «Il suo contributo è stato utile per plasmare il futuro dell’esplorazione spaziale umana, e siamo estremamente grati per il suo servizio».
Megan McArthur nella sua carriera alla NASA, ha ricoperto anche diversi ruoli di responsabilità tecnica. Nel 2019, è stata nominata vice capo divisione dell’Ufficio Astronauti in supporto all’addestramento dei colleghi e allo sviluppo delle operazioni spaziali. Inoltre, a partire dal 2017 è stata anche assistente del direttore delle operazioni di volo per il programma della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale.
19 maggio 2011, Megan McArthur, Spacecraft Communicator (CAPCOM) per la missione STS-134 monitora i dati alla sua consolle nella Space Shuttle Flight Control Room presso il Mission Control Center del Johnson Space Center durante le attività del Flight Day 4. Credit: NASAMegan recentemente si è occupata anche di divulgazione, ricoprendo dal 2022 la carica di capo direttore scientifico presso lo Space Centre di Houston, ovvero il Visitor Centre del Johnson Space Center della NASA. Proseguendo in questo suo ruolo, ella promuove attivamente il coinvolgimento del pubblico sui temi legati all’esplorazione spaziale, con l’intento di accrescere la comprensione dei suoi benefici per l’umanità e di migliorare la cultura scientifica.
Katherine Megan McArthur è nata il 30 agosto 1971 ad Honolulu, Hawaii, ma è cresciuta in California dove ha frequentato la St. Francis High School di Mountain View. Nel 1993 si è laureata in ingegneria aerospaziale all’University of California di Los Angeles e nel 2002 ha ottenuto il dottorato in oceanografia dallo Scripps Institution of Oceanography dell’University of California di San Diego. Durante questi studi, McArthur ha partecipato a ricerche sulla propagazione acustica sottomarina e sull’elaborazione dei segnali digitali e ha svolto inoltre ricerche con attività subacquee.
McArthur è stata selezionata dalla NASA nel 2000 come specialista di missione e dopo i consueti due anni di addestramento è stata assegnata all’Astronaut Office Shuttle Operations Branch per lavorare su alcuni aspetti tecnici dei sistemi dello Space Shuttle presso lo Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). Di seguito è stata selezionata come astronauta di supporto a terra per l’equipaggio dell’Expedition 9 nel corso della missione di sei mesi nella stazione spaziale nel 2004. Inoltre è stata CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) sia per lo Space Shuttle che per la Stazione Spaziale Internazionale.
Nella Space Station Flight Control Room del Mission Control Center presso il Johnson Space Center, gli astronauti Megan McArthur e Shane Kimbrough, sono in contatto con i membri dell’equipaggio dell’Expedition 36 a bordo dell’International Space Station, nel corso dell’attività extraveicolare del 9 luglio 2013, eseguita dagli astronauti Chris Cassidy della NASA e Luca Parmitano dellESA. Credit: NASA
«É stato un incredibile privilegio servire come astronauta della NASA, lavorando con scienziati di tutto il mondo su ricerche all’avanguardia che continuano ad avere un impatto duraturo qui sulla Terra e che preparano l’umanità per le esplorazioni del futuro sulla Luna e su Marte», ha dichiarato McArthur. «Dal telescopio spaziale Hubble alla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale, il nostro laboratorio di ricerca in orbita bassa, l’umanità ha sviluppato degli strumenti incredibili che ci aiutano a rispondere ad importanti quesiti scientifici, a risolvere complesse sfide ingegneristiche e a guadagnare una profonda comprensione riguardo alla nostra posizione nell’universo. Vedere il nostro splendido pianeta dallo spazio, rende chiaro quanto sia fragile e preziosa la nostra casa e quanto sia vitale che noi la proteggiamo. Sono grata di aver avuto l’opportunità di contribuire a questo lavoro, e sono eccitata nell’osservare i nostri brillanti ingegneri e scienziati della NASA superare nuove sfide e perseguire ulteriori scoperte scientifiche per il beneficio di tutti.»
Megan McArthur è sposata con l’ex astronauta ed ex capo dell’Ufficio Astronauti della NASA Bob Behnken, dal quale ha avuto un figlio. Behnken ha volato anche a bordo della Dragon Endeavour per la missione SpaceX Demo-2 nel 2020. Proprio il seggiolino occupato da Behnken in Endeavour è stato usato poco tempo dopo anche da sua moglie Megan per la missione Crew-2 di SpaceX, che è stato anche il secondo volo della capsula.
Ove non diversamente indicato, questo articolo è © 2006-2025 Associazione ISAA - Leggi la licenza. La nostra licenza non si applica agli eventuali contenuti di terze parti presenti in questo articolo, che rimangono soggetti alle condizioni del rispettivo detentore dei diritti.
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#CAPCOM #CrewDragon #EndeavourCrewDragon_ #Expedition65 #Expedition66 #Expedition9 #HubbleSpaceTelescope #MeganMcArthur #NASA #SpaceShuttleAtlantisOV104_ #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew2 #StazioneSpazialeInternazionale_ #STS125
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Megan McArthur lascia la NASA
Al termine di una carriera durata oltre vent’anni, Megan McArthur lascia la NASA.
Con alle spalle due missioni spaziali che le hanno permesso di totalizzare 213 giorni nello spazio, Megan detiene anche due primati: è stata la prima donna a pilotare una capsula Dragon di SpaceX e l’ultima persona a “toccare”, seppur con il braccio robotico Canadarm dello Space Shuttle, il telescopio spaziale Hubble.
McArthur è stata il pilota della missione Crew-2 a bordo della Dragon Endeavour, che SpaceX ha lanciato per conto della NASA il 23 aprile 2021. Si è trattata della sua seconda (ed ultima) missione spaziale e della sua prima ed unica missione di lunga durata sulla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale. Nel corso di questa missione di 200 giorni, Megan è stata ingegnere del volo per Expedition 65, svolgendo una vasta quantità di esperimenti scientifici relativi alla salute, alle scienze dei materiali e alla robotica.
In questa foto del 3 giugno 2021, Megan McArthur, ingegnere di volo per Expedition 65 carica le piastre per la cristallografia proteica con soluzioni di proteine per l’esperimento Real-time Protein Crystal Growth. Questo studio biotecnologico serve a dimostrare nuovi metodi per la produzione di cristalli proteici di elevata qualità in microgravità. Questi risultati possono essere utili per identificare nuovi obiettivi di ricerca e per sviluppare farmaci migliori per il trattamento di alcune specifiche malattie. Credit: NASA/FlickrLa sua prima missione spaziale è stata STS-125 (Servicing Mission 4 – SM4) dello Space Shuttle Atlantis, partita l’11 maggio 2009 alla volta del telescopio Hubble. Nelle vesti di specialista di missione, McArthur ha avuto la responsabilità di manipolare il telescopio orbitale con il braccio robotico della navetta e di fornire supporto durante le cinque attività extraveicolari necessarie alla riparazione e all’aggiornamento di Hubble. Inoltre, l’astronauta statunitense ha anche fornito supporto alle operazioni a bordo della navetta durante il lancio, l’avvicinamento al telescopio e l’atterraggio.
Megan McArthur Mission Specialist (MS2) della missione STS-125 posa per una foto il 17 maggio 2009, mentre è al lavoro con il braccio robotico Canadarm (Shuttle Remote Manipulator System – SRMS) dal ponte di coda dell’Atlantis durante le attività del Flight Day 7 Credit: NASA/Flickr«L’attenta leadership di Megan, la sua eccellenza a livello operativo e il suo totale e profondo impegno per la scienza e l’esplorazione, hanno avuto un impatto duraturo», ha commentato Steve Koerner, direttore ad interim del Johnson Space Center della NASA a Houston. «Il suo contributo è stato utile per plasmare il futuro dell’esplorazione spaziale umana, e siamo estremamente grati per il suo servizio».
Megan McArthur nella sua carriera alla NASA, ha ricoperto anche diversi ruoli di responsabilità tecnica. Nel 2019, è stata nominata vice capo divisione dell’Ufficio Astronauti in supporto all’addestramento dei colleghi e allo sviluppo delle operazioni spaziali. Inoltre, a partire dal 2017 è stata anche assistente del direttore delle operazioni di volo per il programma della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale.
19 maggio 2011, Megan McArthur, Spacecraft Communicator (CAPCOM) per la missione STS-134 monitora i dati alla sua consolle nella Space Shuttle Flight Control Room presso il Mission Control Center del Johnson Space Center durante le attività del Flight Day 4. Credit: NASAMegan recentemente si è occupata anche di divulgazione, ricoprendo dal 2022 la carica di capo direttore scientifico presso lo Space Centre di Houston, ovvero il Visitor Centre del Johnson Space Center della NASA. Proseguendo in questo suo ruolo, ella promuove attivamente il coinvolgimento del pubblico sui temi legati all’esplorazione spaziale, con l’intento di accrescere la comprensione dei suoi benefici per l’umanità e di migliorare la cultura scientifica.
Katherine Megan McArthur è nata il 30 agosto 1971 ad Honolulu, Hawaii, ma è cresciuta in California dove ha frequentato la St. Francis High School di Mountain View. Nel 1993 si è laureata in ingegneria aerospaziale all’University of California di Los Angeles e nel 2002 ha ottenuto il dottorato in oceanografia dallo Scripps Institution of Oceanography dell’University of California di San Diego. Durante questi studi, McArthur ha partecipato a ricerche sulla propagazione acustica sottomarina e sull’elaborazione dei segnali digitali e ha svolto inoltre ricerche con attività subacquee.
McArthur è stata selezionata dalla NASA nel 2000 come specialista di missione e dopo i consueti due anni di addestramento è stata assegnata all’Astronaut Office Shuttle Operations Branch per lavorare su alcuni aspetti tecnici dei sistemi dello Space Shuttle presso lo Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). Di seguito è stata selezionata come astronauta di supporto a terra per l’equipaggio dell’Expedition 9 nel corso della missione di sei mesi nella stazione spaziale nel 2004. Inoltre è stata CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) sia per lo Space Shuttle che per la Stazione Spaziale Internazionale.
Nella Space Station Flight Control Room del Mission Control Center presso il Johnson Space Center, gli astronauti Megan McArthur e Shane Kimbrough, sono in contatto con i membri dell’equipaggio dell’Expedition 36 a bordo dell’International Space Station, nel corso dell’attività extraveicolare del 9 luglio 2013, eseguita dagli astronauti Chris Cassidy della NASA e Luca Parmitano dellESA. Credit: NASA
«É stato un incredibile privilegio servire come astronauta della NASA, lavorando con scienziati di tutto il mondo su ricerche all’avanguardia che continuano ad avere un impatto duraturo qui sulla Terra e che preparano l’umanità per le esplorazioni del futuro sulla Luna e su Marte», ha dichiarato McArthur. «Dal telescopio spaziale Hubble alla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale, il nostro laboratorio di ricerca in orbita bassa, l’umanità ha sviluppato degli strumenti incredibili che ci aiutano a rispondere ad importanti quesiti scientifici, a risolvere complesse sfide ingegneristiche e a guadagnare una profonda comprensione riguardo alla nostra posizione nell’universo. Vedere il nostro splendido pianeta dallo spazio, rende chiaro quanto sia fragile e preziosa la nostra casa e quanto sia vitale che noi la proteggiamo. Sono grata di aver avuto l’opportunità di contribuire a questo lavoro, e sono eccitata nell’osservare i nostri brillanti ingegneri e scienziati della NASA superare nuove sfide e perseguire ulteriori scoperte scientifiche per il beneficio di tutti.»
Megan McArthur è sposata con l’ex astronauta ed ex capo dell’Ufficio Astronauti della NASA Bob Behnken, dal quale ha avuto un figlio. Behnken ha volato anche a bordo della Dragon Endeavour per la missione SpaceX Demo-2 nel 2020. Proprio il seggiolino occupato da Behnken in Endeavour è stato usato poco tempo dopo anche da sua moglie Megan per la missione Crew-2 di SpaceX, che è stato anche il secondo volo della capsula.
Ove non diversamente indicato, questo articolo è © 2006-2025 Associazione ISAA - Leggi la licenza. La nostra licenza non si applica agli eventuali contenuti di terze parti presenti in questo articolo, che rimangono soggetti alle condizioni del rispettivo detentore dei diritti.
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#CAPCOM #CrewDragon #EndeavourCrewDragon_ #Expedition65 #Expedition66 #Expedition9 #HubbleSpaceTelescope #MeganMcArthur #NASA #SpaceShuttleAtlantisOV104_ #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew2 #StazioneSpazialeInternazionale_ #STS125
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Hi! I'm Cosmo. 🌞🌍🪐💫⭐🌌 Thanks to my #GeekDad, I'm a #computer and #electronics enthusiast, following in his footsteps. My first computer was an Apple ][+. I called BBS's and chatted on 300 bps D-Dial. I used to run a #WWIV board in the early 90's called "Mission Control" in the #Philadelphia area. I played MUDs. I had under construction signs on my Geocities pages in the late '90s. I was also friends with Tom on MySpace in the '00s and have had the same Gmail address since it was invite only during their Beta. Hashtags I follow:
🌊 #BlueWave #FBR #FBPE #FBPEU #Liberal #BLM #FireCorruptPower 👮#ProChoice ♀️ #BlueCrew #HumanRights #ImmigrantsArePeopleToo #LGTBQally 🧬 #Science #NASA :blobcatspace: #DontPanic #Ω #Philly #DogsOfMastodon #Beagle #Bulldog #GuineaPig #Cavy #Science #SciFi #ScienceFiction #DoctorWho #StarTrek #StarWars #ᐰ #Stargate #BattlestarGalactica #MrRobot :2001: #2001 #GOT #HOTD #AutismDad :triforce: #VideoGamer :pacman: :pacmanblinky: :nintendo: #railroads #muppets
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Er komt een vreemd geluid uit de Boeing Starliner
Mission Control in het Johnson Space Center in Houston vergelijkt het geluid met een “pulserend geluid, bijna als een sonar-ping”.
https://www.kuuke.nl/er-komt-een-vreemd-geluid-uit-de-boeing-starliner/
#boeing #ButchWilmore #nasa #sonarping #starliner #VreemdGeluid
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Er komt een vreemd geluid uit de Boeing Starliner
Mission Control in het Johnson Space Center in Houston vergelijkt het geluid met een “pulserend geluid, bijna als een sonar-ping”.
https://www.kuuke.nl/er-komt-een-vreemd-geluid-uit-de-boeing-starliner/
#boeing #ButchWilmore #nasa #sonarping #starliner #VreemdGeluid
-
Er komt een vreemd geluid uit de Boeing Starliner
Mission Control in het Johnson Space Center in Houston vergelijkt het geluid met een “pulserend geluid, bijna als een sonar-ping”.
https://www.kuuke.nl/er-komt-een-vreemd-geluid-uit-de-boeing-starliner/
#boeing #ButchWilmore #nasa #sonarping #starliner #VreemdGeluid
-
Er komt een vreemd geluid uit de Boeing Starliner
Mission Control in het Johnson Space Center in Houston vergelijkt het geluid met een “pulserend geluid, bijna als een sonar-ping”.
https://www.kuuke.nl/er-komt-een-vreemd-geluid-uit-de-boeing-starliner/
#boeing #ButchWilmore #nasa #sonarping #starliner #VreemdGeluid