USA

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   This US Congressman Wants to Revolutionize Space

He's giving JFK a run for his money. Republican legislator Jim Bridenstine recently proposed the American Space Renaissance Act, the most starry-eyed package for exploring the final frontier since the 1960s. As a first-term congressman, he was prompted by a devastating tornado in his native Oklahoma and set off with plans for using satellite technology to better predict storms. But he's since expanded his horizons, and while he's facing an uphill battle, he believes "this is our Sputnik moment" for a galactic revolution.

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Study Says 1.4 Million Americans Identify as Transgender


Times are changing. The same day the U.S. military lifted its longtime ban on transgender soldiers, UCLA's Williams Institute estimated that 0.6 percent of American citizens see themselves as transgender, double its 2011 estimate of 700,000. The figures see the highest proportion of transgender residents living in Hawaii, California, Georgia and New Mexico, at 0.8 percent each. Researchers, who say people aged 18 to 24 are slightly more likely to identify as transgender, hope their data can help inform public policy on issues like discrimination and access to bathrooms.

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Asian Students Torn Over U.S. Affirmative Action

It's a math question. East Asian students are overrepresented at some elite universities, leading some - particularly those with foreign passports - to fight affirmative action. The Supreme Court  recently upheld preferences for Black and Latino students, but challenges from Asian counterparts say quotas discriminate against better-qualified applicants. Even so, younger Asian-Americans support affirmative action, which could even benefit underrepresented Cambodians and Laotians. Any perceived harm suffered is legally hard to prove, and the high court's ruling suggests "holistic" admissions processes will remain the solution to a long-vexing problem.

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Italian Police Arrest Homeless Man in American Student's Death
He was only 19 years old. Beau Solomon, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student, went missing shortly after arriving for an exchange program in Rome. His body was later discovered in the Tiber River, and police in the Eternal City announced Tuesday that they've taken a suspect, 40-year-old Massimo Galioto, into custody. Solomon's family says after his disappearance they discovered thousands of dollars had been racked up on his credit card in Milan. Now Italian police will proceed with what they've confirmed is a murder investigation.

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   Los Angeles Planning World's Largest Power Storage Battery

A charge is coming. The winner of a competition to replace an aging Long Beach natural gas plant will be composed of 18,000 lithium-ion battery packs, each the size to power a Nissan Leaf, charged by cheap off-peak solar and wind energy and deployed when Angelenos crank their air conditioning. The new plant will help California utilities meet their goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. Despite the area's urgent energy needs, the battery will not be up and running for five years.

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South Korea, US Agree on Missile Defense System
The best defense is ... probably going to piss off the neighbors. The U.S. and South Korea, citing threats from North Korea, have agreed to deploy the THAAD system, which can ostensibly detect and destroy hostile missiles before they land - something that's become more urgent since Pyongyang described new U.S. sanctions as "an open declaration of war." But China's not happy about the development: North Korea's most prominent sort-of ally is concerned that the new system will be able to spy into its own territory with radar.

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   State Department Reopens Clinton Email Probe

She can't breathe easy just yet. After the Justice Department decided not to pursue criminal charges, the State Department announced Thursday that it has reopened its investigation into possible mishandling of classified information by Hillary Clinton and her aides. Penalties could include the loss of security clearances, which might make it harder for Clinton, if she wins, to build a national security team. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, FBI Director James Comey testified that the bureau's investigation revealed that some of Clinton's explanations to the House Benghazi panel were not true.

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   American Beers to Display Nutrition Labels
It's news you can brew. A consortium of America's biggest brewers announced it will voluntarily add nutrition labels to its beers by 2020. They aren't required because booze is regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, rather than the Food and Drug Administration. The labels will provide calorie, carbohydrate, protein and fat information, as well as the already common alcohol by volume and freshness date. The labels could bring surprises, such as the news that Guinness, which is already labeled, has just 15 more calories than Bud Light.

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   How Putin Could Take Advantage of America's Populist Tide

Is it a cold war's warm embrace? Donald Trump has lavished praise on Russian president Vladimir Putin, much of his inner circle has been involved in Kremlin-linked affairs, and Russia appears to be subtly boosting Trump's business ventures. The real estate mogul has a history of trying to curry favor in the interest of securing Russian development projects. And should the Donald become the president, Putin could leverage America's diminished international leadership as European populists - boosted by Kremlin-supported websites and cash - sow discord that threatens NATO and the EU.

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California High-Speed Train Project Slapped With Lawsuit

Not so fast. Four former employees of Hyperloop One, which is trying to build a speed-of-sound train network, allege that the company is being mismanaged and is rife with nepotism. One of its founders is among those bringing the lawsuit: Brogan BamBrogan says he and three others were forced to leave the company, which has raised more than $100 million, after raising objections. Hyperloop's lawyers are dismissing the group as remnants of a failed "coup," but the allegations could chill international investors on the project.