The sky is falling

A chunk from a 53-year-old Soviet spacecraft designed to land on Venus is set to cannonball back to Earth next weekend, and nobody knows where it might land.

The Kosmos 482 probe, made and launched by the U.S.S.R. in 1972, was built as part of the Venera program that collected data from Venus's hellish surface.

But a malfunction in the upper stage of the Soyuz rocket booster that lofted the ship skyward scuppered its mission, leaving the craft without the required velocity to reach the planet and instead marooning it in an elliptical orbit around our own. 

CHINA RESPONDS

 China issued a warning on Tuesday night that it stands ready for any "type of war" with the United States in the aftermath of tariffs imposed hours earlier by the Trump administration.

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said the tariffs would not lead to a resolution of U.S. concerns about fentanyl originating in China.

SOCIAL SECURITY

 The Social Security Administration has identified $800 million in cost savings for fiscal 2025.

The savings come from the SSA reevaluating contracts and grants, payroll, information technology, consolidating office space, and making policy changes to travel and printing.

“For too long, SSA has operated on autopilot,” acting SSA Commissioner Lee Dudek said in a statement. “We have spent billions annually doing the same things the same way, leading to bureaucratic stagnation, inefficiency, and a lack of meaningful service improvements. It is time to change just that.”

COMING HOME

 CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s two stuck astronauts are just a few weeks away from finally returning to Earth after nine months in space.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have to wait until their replacements arrive at the International Space Station next week before they can check out later this month.

Trickle up economy

Instead of giving $$$ billions in corporate welfare and $$$$ trillions in so called stimulus that go in the wrong hands, why not give $1 million dollars to each American. There are 365 million people living here. It would be much cheaper than all the other plans our government has.  This would be a one shot deal and what a way to trickle up the economy.

China spying

 The Philippines has arrested three people on suspicion of espionage after they were caught with intelligence related to military installations and other sensitive sites, allegedly collected from a vehicle.

Newsweek contacted the Chinese foreign ministry and the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with emailed requests for comment.

ON NOTICE

 Defence Secretary John Healey has put Vladimir Putin - whose economy is faltering with huge inflation - on notice with a firm: "we see you" after a Russian naval vessel known for mapping key underwater infrastructure briefly skirted UK waters. Aiming squarely at the Kremlin commander - who is apparently 'eyeing up' a NATO nation - he declared: "We see you, we know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country."