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U.S. House Approves Amended Measure to Prohibit TikTok or Compel Sale

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill this afternoon that would require TikTok-owner ByteDance to sell the popular social media app or see it banned in the United States. Efforts to ban TikTok go back to the Trump Administration, but the issue has been revived in recent months. The House already passed a similar bill in March — a bill that the Senate showed little interest in taking up. The Senate could take up the package this coming week, and President Joe Biden has said he supports the bill and will sign it. If that happens, TikTok is expected to challenge the bill in court.

New “responsive space” mission launched by Space Force in partnership with Rocket Lab and True Anomaly.

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Rocket Lab and True Anomaly will attempt to deliver and operate space hardware for the military under intentionally tight timeframes, as part of the Space Force’s push to solicit “tactically responsive” space capabilities from commercial companies. As part of Rocket Lab’s $32 million contract, it will also launch the satellite with its Electron rocket. True Anomaly will partner with an unnamed “trusted commercial launch provider” for its ride under its own $30 million contract, according to a statement. Once in orbit, Rocket Lab and True Anomaly must rapidly commission and ready their spacecraft for operations — with each other. If all goes to plan, Rocket Lab’s Pioneer satellite will conduct the so-called rendezvous and proximity operations with True Anomaly’s Jackal spacecraft.

“The TikTok Ban: Gathering Momentum in the Push for a Forced Sale”

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TechCrunch Minute: The TikTok ban, or at least the effort to force its sale, is gaining steamAnd some folks are pretty mad about it! After a House subcommittee passed a bill that would force a sale of TikTok or ban the app from American app stores, debate reignited around the internet regrading whether or not the social service should face such harsh choices. On the pro-TikTok side former President Donald Trump flipped his views, and Elon Musk has spoken against the possibility. On the other hand, there’s a surprisingly united Congress, concerns about data safety, and fears that TikTok could be used to influence the American electorate. This raises the question: Why not just divest the asset so that we can put the issue to bed?

The Proposed TikTok Ban: An Update on Congress’ Decision

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TikTok ban: What’s going on with the proposed bill in Congress Congress could force TikTok to part with its Chinese parent companyTikTok faces an uncertain fate in the U.S. once again. The bill, which many of its detractors reasonably describe as a “ban,” would force ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months for the app to continue operating here. The campaign to force ByteDance to sell TikTok to a U.S. company originated with an executive order during the Trump administration. Trump’s threats against the company culminated in a plan to force TikTok to sell its U.S. operations to Oracle in late 2020. We may learn more next week if senators begin weighing in on the prospect of creating their own version of the House bill.

“Uncovering the Truth: The Latest Bill Threatening a TikTok Ban”

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What’s going on with the new bill that could ban TikTok? Congress wants to force TikTok to part with its Chinese parent companyTikTok faces an uncertain fate in the U.S. once again. The bill, which many of its detractors reasonably describe as a “ban,” would force ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months in order for the app to continue operating here. The campaign to force ByteDance to sell TikTok to a U.S. company originated with an executive order during the Trump administration. We may learn more next week if senators begin weighing in on the prospect of creating their own version of the house bill.

Scenario Two: AI Expectations Squashed as House Unveils Aimless Task Force

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The House of Representatives has founded a Task Force on artificial intelligence that will “ensure America continues leading in this strategic area,” as Speaker Mike Johnson put it. “But we started this task force!” Yes, and the E.U. has had their task force working on this subject since the pandemic days. The announcement of the task force kept expectations low, with no timeline or deliverables that voters or watchdogs can hold them to. Perhaps this task force is Congress’s admission that during such a tumultuous times, and lacking any real insight into an issue, all they can do is say “we’ll look into it.”

Astroscale Unveils Revolutionary $25 Million Orbital Refueling Craft for the Space Force

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Orbital operations company Astroscale has revealed new details about its approach to refueling satellites in space, as part of a $25.5 million project exploring the concept with the Space Force. The concept of on-orbit servicing and repair is attractive to anyone who doesn’t want to see a $100 million investment literally burn up. Astroscale won a Space Force contract last Summer to explore the possibility in orbit, and the company just published how it plans to do so. After refueling it, the APS-R will back off and perform an inspection of the client satellite, looking for any fuel leaks or other issues its operators might want to check. No doubt we’ll hear more about this and other space sustainability projects well before then.

“Call for Algorithmic Transparency: EU Urges Stricter Regulations for Music-Streaming Services”

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The European Parliament is calling for new rules to bring more fairness and transparency to music-streaming across the bloc, including proposals for a new bill to force streaming platforms to open up their recommendation algorithms. The bill would also require Spotify et al to make it clear where a song has been generated by artificial intelligence (AI). While final details are far from set in stone, this might eventually include setting quotas to showcase a certain amount of work from European artists. However, the company performed a 180-degree turn when the government gave assurances that music-streaming platforms wouldn’t be expected to cover extra costs resulting from the law. In response, Spotify vowed to cut back its investment in the French market, starting with pulling support for two music festivals.

“Surviving a 16,000-Foot Fall: The Miracle of iPhones on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282”

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Alaska Airlines Flight 1282: How could iPhones survive a 16,000-foot drop? Now the impact force will be large (just like hitting the floor) and the impact area is very small. Air resistance limits the maximum speed, so it’s not necessarily going any faster falling from 18,000 feet than 1,000 feet,” Wiens explained. The gravitational force pulls down and there is also an upwards pushing air resistance force. This air resistance increases in magnitude as the phone moves faster through the air.