May 31, 2017

World's biggest aircraft to begin testing

Shane Savitsky

Paul Allen / Twitter

The Stratolaunch carrier, built by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen's Stratolaunch Systems, has the longest wingspan of any aircraft ever built — and it just rolled out of its supersized hangar for the first time to begin its first fueling, engine, and taxi tests before its first flight test later this year, per Popular Mechanics.

Put in perspective: The 500,000-pound, six-engined Stratolaunch carrier's wingspan is 385 feet. That's 25 feet longer than the length of a football field.

Its purpose: The aircraft is designed to carry rockets into the stratosphere, where it'll drop them before they fire and launch into space. It's could improve the reliability and cost-effectiveness of orbital spaceflight, but the aircraft's first launch test isn't scheduled until 2019.

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Top Trump ally sounds 2020 election alarm over coronavirus response

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What we're hearing: "The next 4-8 weeks is really going to decide whether Trump gets reelected," Stephen Moore, Trump's former nominee for the Federal Reserve board, told Axios. If the administration mishandles its economic recovery efforts, he said, Trump is "in big trouble."

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  5. 2020 latest: Top conservative leaders are concerned the Trump administration isn't addressing the virus' long-term economic impact.
  6. States latest: FEMA has asked governors to decide if they want testing sites to be under state or federal control.
  7. World latest: Lockdowns have led to a decline in murders in some of the world's most violent countries — Boris Johnson is moved out of the ICU but remains in hospital with coronavirus.
  8. In Congress: Senate in stalemate over additional funding for small business relief program.
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Federal court temporarily blocks coronavirus order against some abortions

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A federal judge ruled Thursday that clinics in Texas can immediately offer medication abortions — a pregnancy termination method administered by pill — and can also provide the procedure to patients nearing the state's time limits for abortions.

Driving the news: The decision comes after federal appeals court ruled 2-1 on Tuesday in favor of an executive order by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that prohibits abortions during the coronavirus outbreak.

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