Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot project, spearheaded by CEO Elon Musk, faces delays and skepticism despite making significant progress from its theatrical debut to functional prototypes. On Monday, July 21, Musk announced widespread implementation of the Optimus robots would be delayed again, at least until the end of 2024. Tesla shareholders responded to the delay with…

The debate over child transgender-affirming care is back in the national spotlight after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law Monday, July 15. California Assembly Bill 1955 prohibits requiring public school employees and contractors from disclosing a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents or guardians. The law stirred up widespread backlash…

Former rivals of Donald Trump call for unity during the second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC). And President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to back sweeping changes for the Supreme Court. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Haley among former rivals to show support for Trump at RNC …

Reports of metal parts landing on people’s property from SpaceX’s spacecraft have gained international attention. The debris from the Dragon Crew spacecraft is posing as a major concern for astronomers. Metal chunks of the spacecraft have been found on a Saskatchewan farm, a North Carolina hiking trail, and another was found in Florida after hitting…

Europe is back in space. Running years behind schedule, Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket blasted off on its maiden flight, Tuesday, July 9, from the European Space Agency‘s launch site in French Guiana. The flight deployed three sets of micro-satellites for research purposes, prompting European space officials to declare the trip a success.  However, the mission didn’t go entirely as planned. The final batch of payloads —…

NASA has the end of the International Space Station (ISS) in its sights as it deals with a historic lawsuit concerning space junk originating from the station. NASA awarded SpaceX nearly $1 billion to make the vehicle that will take the ISS out of its orbit when it’s time to retire in a few years.  The…

Boeing is delaying the return of two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS), following problems with helium leaks and thrusters. NASA announced on Tuesday, June 18, that the efforts to get them home may have the two astronauts in space longer than anticipated. The initial plan was for astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita…

The battle of the balloons continues. Under the cover of darkness, North Korean defectors sent more balloons from South to North during the morning of Thursday, June 6. The balloons included packages containing USB drives with K-Pop music, 200,000 leaflets critical of Kim Jong Un’s regime and American $1 bills, which are worth 900 North…

The Israeli military seized control of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt amid talks of a cease-fire. Boeing faces another delay after its Starliner’s mission to space was scrubbed at the last minute. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Israel takes control of Rafah border crossing amid…

NASA astronauts are set to test-drive Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft during its first manned mission to the International Space Station on Monday, May 6, after a decade of mechanical challenges. The CST-100 Starliner test mission, long delayed and over $1 billion over budget, will carry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in its final test before regular missions…