Judge blocks social media ban for kids.
A federal judge Tuesday blocked a Florida law aimed at keeping children off social-media platforms. The judge said the 2024 law likely violates First Amendment rights and suggested that parents should be policing social-media use, not the state. Florida is expected to appeal the injunction.
$1 Billion launch tower on the chopping block.
A new launch tower is under construction at Kennedy Space Center. It’s designed for future Artemis launches to the moon. So far, NASA has spent $1 billion in the design and construction of the 390 foot mobile launcher. But the proposed budget cuts for NASA call for construction of the tower to stop. The budget also calls for an end to NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team that supports Artemis launches. The move to kill the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft comes amid criticism of the program’s continued delays and ballooning costs. The proposed NASA budget cuts still need congressional approval.
Space Florida wants NASA and Space Force to work more closely.
Space Florida is studying how NASA and the U.S. Space Force operations can be merged at Cape Canaveral. The president of Space Florida told board members of the state aerospace agency that a “unified model” would support the ongoing growth of commercial space operations and ensure government missions can be more efficient and sustainable. The military and NASA have operated separate portions of the spaceport since the 1950s. A consultant is expected to be named for a new master plan study this month, and the first two phases are expected to be completed in eight months to a year.
Search for UF president continues.
Florida’s higher education board yesterday voted against confirming Santa Ono as the next president of the University of Florida. Ono underwent hours of intensive questioning by the Board of Governors about his views on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. The University of Michigan leader had strong support from UF’s leaders but did not win over the Board of Governors, which has final say. The board then voted 10 to 6 against his appointment, drawing gasps from some audience members.
Embry-Riddle cancelled plans for a second campus.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has cancelled its plans for an expansive Lake County campus. The university withdrew its request for re-zoning in Lake County for a second campus. The proposed plan had included a paved runway, hangars, a classroom building, as well as testing facilities for drone pilots and autonomous vehicles.
Disney to cut hundreds of employees.
Another round of layoffs is coming for Disney employees. The company notified several hundred employees that their jobs were being eliminated amid an increasingly difficult economic environment. Disney has lost billions of dollars over several years in its strategic shift to streaming video.
Saharan dust is headed toward Florida.
A plume of thick Saharan dust suspended in the atmosphere is moving westward across the Caribbean Sea and is expected to reach central Florida late this evening and into tonight. We can expect haze, poor air quality, and potentially colorful morning and evening skies. The plume journeyed thousands of miles from Africa.
