
NASA administrator nominee Jared Isaacman supports a return to the moon, argues for a parallel path to Mars
CBSN
Billionaire entrepreneur and space traveler Jared Isaacman, President Trump's nominee to serve as NASA's next administrator, told lawmakers Wednesday he supports sending astronauts back to the moon in the Artemis program but plans to "prioritize" eventual trips to Mars.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) chaired Isaacman's confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, directly asking the nominee if he would "maintain course with the Artemis program so that we can return American astronauts to the moon before President Trump leaves office?"
"I couldn't agree more with the president and his inspiring and ambitious goal to send American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on Mars," Isaacman said. "He didn't say we shouldn't go to the moon.

The leaders of a sex-focused women's wellness company that promoted "orgasmic meditation" were found guilty Monday in what has been described as an abusive scheme to coerce their employees into performing traumatic and demeaning tasks with little or no pay, authorities said. A Brooklyn jury deliberated for less than two days before convicting Nicole Daedone, 57, and Rachel Cherwitz, 44, on federal forced labor charges, following a five-week trial.

Smuggler traveling from Thailand stopped with tarantulas, possums, lizards, authorities in India say
Indian customs officers made the latest "significant" seizure of endangered wildlife from a passenger arriving from Thailand, a government statement said: nearly 100 creatures including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums.

Some of the victims of the U.S. Capitol siege are angry about the Trump administration's public statements and response to this weekend's unrest in Los Angeles, accusing top officials and the president of hypocrisy. They point to the stark difference between the aggressive response of the president and his top aides against those who allegedly assaulted police in Los Angeles, compared to their staunch defense of those who admitted beating and gassing police on Jan. 6. The disparity risks inflaming the already heated controversy in California.