NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Return to Earth
Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are on their way home!
On June 5, 2024, Williams and Wilmore launched from Kennedy Space Center to co-pilot the Boeing Starliner for its first crewed spaceflight to orbit – they’d each been up to space twice before.
The astronauts spent 286 days, or 9 months, in total in space.
During her nine total spacewalks, Williams has now spent 62 hours and 6 minutes in the vacuum of space – more than any other woman in the world.
NASA is streaming coverage of the Dragon's return voyage today before the spacecraft's planned deorbiting burn and water landing on its service, NASA+.
Sea turtles washing up this year in Brevard
Data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission show that so far this year, 148 stranded sea turtles have been reported in Brevard, more than double the usual rate.
Allen Foley, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said "The temperature of these waters during the winter is at the edge of that which can be tolerated by green turtles,".
"Our leading hypothesis as to a cause of this stranding spike is that these turtles are suffering from prolonged exposure to cold water," Foley said.
Weldon: Pressure from pharmaceutical firms killed chance to win confirmation to head CDC
Former congressman Dr. Dave Weldon attributes the withdrawal of his CDC director nomination to pharmaceutical industry lobbying. President Donald Trump rescinded Weldon's nomination last week amid doubts over his Senate confirmation prospects.
Weldon, an Indialantic resident, has previously voiced concerns about the safety of certain childhood vaccines, which he believes made him a target of "big Pharma." However, he insists he is not anti-vaccine.
He contends that the pharmaceutical industry, one of the most powerful lobbying forces in Washington, heavily influences politicians, media, and medical institutions through financial contributions and advertising.
Until a new CDC director is nominated and confirmed, CDC Principal Deputy Director Susan Monarez will continue serving as acting director.
Bill further regulating hemp products passes first committee
Florida lawmakers are pursuing more regulations for Delta 8 and other hemp products.
A proposal by Winter Haven Republican Senator Colleen Burton would strengthen testing of the products, put caps on its contents in beverage form, and bans its sale at gas stations or within 500 feet of schools or daycares.
Burton says her bill will protect children from accessing the product and ensuring adults that do use it are safe.
“You know, we can debate all day long whether or not the hemp itself is dangerous, but that's not what we're looking at. It will test to make sure that these products are indeed hemp products and not marijuana products dressed in hemp clothing, we'll call it that.”
Hemp-derived products can be intoxicating similarly to marijuana, but it is not a federally controlled substance.
Robohomes: Florida’s Construction Future
The world's first mobile robotic block-laying machine, Hadrian X, is constructing homes at Babcock Ranch, marking a milestone in U.S. homebuilding.
Developed over two decades by Australia’s Fast Brick Robotics, Hadrian X can erect a house, walls-up, in just 8 to 10 hours with zero waste, potentially revolutionizing construction by functioning like a 3D printer on a truck.
After building its first U.S. home in Lehigh Acres in August 2024, the technology has now completed ten homes, all in Southwest Florida.
More: www.floridatoday.com
