Oct 11, 1968: Apollo 7 Launches — NASA’s 1st Apollo Astronaut Crew in Orbit

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Oct 11, 1968: Apollo 7 Launches Into Space — NASA’s 1st Apollo Astronaut Crew in Orbit (Maria)

The author writes, “On Oct. 11, 1968, Apollo 7 launched into space with NASA astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham. This was the first mission of the Apollo program that carried a crew into space. … Had Apollo 7 not succeeded, the chances of NASA fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 goal: ‘Before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth’ would have been called into question — not just because the clock was ticking down, but also due to political pressure to close the expensive moon program.”

Trump White House in ‘Full-On Panic Mode’ Over Close Advisers Hired by Pro-Putin Balkans Government (Reader Jim)

From The Independent: “Donald Trump was reportedly unaware that two longtime advisers working on his political operations heading into critical midterm elections were traveling in the Balkans to consult with a Russian-aligned government in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After learning about the trip … the president fired off a remarkable and rare attempt to publicly distance himself from the pair and threatened to fire them.”

Disaster Insurance, Data Centers, Right To Repair: Meet the Midterm Candidates Running on Green Policies (Russ)

From The Guardian: “When Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a law erasing the words ‘climate change’ from state statutes in May 2024 … Democrats were outraged. Just six months later, many liberal politicians began to go quiet on the issue themselves. … The trend, known as ‘climate-hushing,’ may reflect the limitations of Joe Biden’s climate policies. … Some progressive and populist candidates in the US midterms are pushing back against climate-hushing, linking the issue to economic concerns and everyday struggles. … The Guardian spoke with three midterm candidates about how three issues with major environmental implications are shaping their campaigns.” 

Doctors and Hospitals To See Lower Medicaid Payments in Three Dozen States (Dana)

The author writes, “New federal rules likely will force three dozen states to reduce their annual Medicaid payments to doctors and hospitals by a total of more than $50 billion — potentially shrinking the number of providers willing to see Medicaid patients, according to a new analysis. The analysis in the peer-reviewed Health Affairs estimates that the 17 states with the highest provider reimbursement rates will have to cut their spending by between 10% and 25% of their overall Medicaid budgets. Medicaid is the joint state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes.”

Microsoft Pushes Back on Vance’s H-1B Visa Claims (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “Hours before President Donald Trump honored Microsoft’s CEO on Thursday, the administration targeted the Redmond-based tech giant with a surprise suspension from a program to apply for green cards for H-1B workers. Flanked by administration officials in a news conference Thursday, Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of using the H-1B visa program to replace American workers and claimed the entire system is fraudulent. … Microsoft pushed back on Vance’s math in a lengthy statement Thursday and said the H-1B visa applications it filed last year did not represent ‘new arrivals to our country.’” 

How Intelligence Agencies Bend Universities to Their Will (Sean)

From Jacobin: “Intelligence agencies like the CIA have been cultivating ties with universities for decades. They use money and influence to co-opt research and foster a benign image of their role at the expense of academic independence and freedom.” 

In an $80 Motel Room, a Discovery to Shed Light on the Origins of Life (Laura)

The author writes, “A scrappy science project led to a significant discovery: two new species of a rare organism that could elucidate a fundamental transition in the history of life on our planet.”