Jean Thompson, Author at Dual cow

Astrobotic’s Peregrine Moon Lander Burns Up in Earth’s Atmosphere

Jan

Astrobotic’s Peregrine Moon Lander Burns Up in Earth’s Atmosphere

A spacecraft that was headed to the surface of the moon has ended up back at Earth instead, burning up in the planet’s atmosphere on Thursday afternoon.Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh announced in a post on the social network X that it lost communication with its Peregrine moon lander at 3:50 p.m. Eastern time, which served as an indication that it entered the Earth’s atmosphere over the South Pacific at around 4:04 p.m.“We await independent confirmation from government entities,” the company said.It was an intentional, if disappointing, end to a trip that lasted 10 days and covered more than half a…

A Fed Governor Reiterates That Rate Cuts Are Coming

Jan

By Jean Thompson

Investments and Business

A Fed Governor Reiterates That Rate Cuts Are Coming

A prominent Federal Reserve official on Tuesday laid out a case for lowering interest rates methodically at some point this year as the economy comes into balance and inflation cools — although he acknowledged that the timing of those cuts remained uncertain.Christopher Waller, one of the Fed’s seven Washington-based officials and one of the 12 policymakers who get to vote at its meetings, said during a speech at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday that he saw a case for cutting interest rates in 2024.“The data we have received the last few months is allowing the committee to consider cutting the…

In Guatemala, New Utopian Neighborhood? Or a Testament to Inequality?

Jan

By Jean Thompson

International

In Guatemala, New Utopian Neighborhood? Or a Testament to Inequality?

Try going for a stroll in much of Guatemala City: It is a pedestrian’s nightmare.Motorcycles speed down crowded sidewalks. Rifle-grasping guards squint at each passerby, sizing up potential assailants. Smoke-belching buses barrel through stop signs.But tucked within the chaotic capital’s crazy-quilt sprawl, there is a dreamlike haven where none of that exists.In the City of Cayalá, a utopian domain created by one of Guatemala’s richest families, the streets are quiet and orderly, the stores are upscale and the homes attainable — if only to families from the country’s small, moneyed elite, or foreigners, like the American diplomats stationed at the…

King Charles’s Prostate Treatment Is Common Among Men His Age

Jan

By Jean Thompson

Health

King Charles’s Prostate Treatment Is Common Among Men His Age

King Charles III will have a procedure to address an enlarged prostate at a hospital next week. The 75-year-old British monarch’s diagnosis is common among men his age, and experts say that typical treatments are not dangerous.An enlarged prostate, known also as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is a noncancerous condition that occurs frequently among older men. By age 60, more than half of men have at least mild BPH symptoms, which include difficulty urinating and a sense of urgency to urinate. But often the symptoms are not severe enough to require treatment.The condition is analogous to menopause in women,…

Christian Pulisic interview: ‘I want to show the world what the U.S. can do’

Jan

By Jean Thompson

International

Christian Pulisic interview: ‘I want to show the world what the U.S. can do’

Christian Pulisic is perched on a bar stool in the old clubhouse overlooking the first-team training pitch at Milanello, AC Milan’s training ground.He makes a hand gesture, one he didn’t need the past six months living in Italy to learn. Pulisic is talking about himself as one of the “older guys” on the USMNT and, as he does so, he is sure to put air quotes around it.Nearby is a portrait of Milan legend Paolo Maldini lifting a trophy, a player who retired in his forties. Pulisic isn’t that age yet. He turned 25 shortly after joining Milan from Chelsea…

Sheryl Sandberg to Depart Meta’s Board of Directors

Jan

By Jean Thompson

Science and Technology

Sheryl Sandberg to Depart Meta’s Board of Directors

Sheryl Sandberg said on Wednesday that she would not stand for re-election to Meta’s board of directors in May, ending her 14½-year run in a formal role at the social networking company.Ms. Sandberg had remained on the nine-seat board after stepping down as Meta’s chief operating officer in 2022. In a post to her personal Facebook page on Wednesday, she said she would still be an adviser to the company and would “always be there to help the Meta teams.”“The Meta business is strong and well positioned for the future, so this feels like the right time to step away,”…