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Yesterday evening, President Trump announced on Truth Social that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy would take over as interim administrator of NASA. The space agency has been without an official leader since the president took office in January; Janet Petro, the director of Kennedy Space Center in Florida, has been serving as the acting administrator until now. The road to nominating a leader for the space agency has been a rocky one for Trump. Back in December, the president-elect named Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments and a private astronaut, as his nominee for NASA administrator. Critics flagged Isaacmans close ties to Elon Musk as a hurdle to his confirmation (Isaacman conducted the first private spacewalk along with Sarah Gillis on Polaris Dawn, a mission for which he paid SpaceX). However, the president withdrew Isaacmans nomination on May 31 after a public fallout with billionaire Elon Musk. Trump later cited Isaacmans close ties to the SpaceX CEO as part of the reason for the withdrawal, in addition to his political leanings. (Trump claimed Isaacman is a Democrat, while Isaacman characterized himself as a right-leaning moderate in a post on X.) Now, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a former Republican congressman and reality television star, is set to inherit a tumultuous set of circumstances at NASA. The presidents budget proposes cutting almost 50% of the agencys science funding, which experts say would be a devastating blow, cancelling 19 active science missions. However, members of the Senate appropriations committee have indicated they intend to restore much of NASAs science funding. Additionally, a recent report from POLITICO indicates that over 2,000 of NASAs senior staff are set to depart the agency in coming months. These civil servants have accepted the early retirements, buyouts, and deferred resignations that were on offer as a result of Trumps budget cuts and efforts to reduce the size of the federal government workforce. This leadership brain drain will likely have drastic impacts to the agency, and the cuts only make up half of what the president has stated hed like to see for NASA. This means there may be more to come. NASA did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
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E-Commerce
Sketched out on an airplane vomit sack, it became fashion’s must-have accessory.The original Birkin bag, named after the actor, singer and fashion icon that Herms created it forthe late Jane Birkinis up for auction in Paris on Thursday.The so-called Original Birkin is expected to fetch hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars) at the sale by auction house Sotheby’s.Created for the London-born star by the Paris fashion house in 1984, the commercialized version of Birkin’s bag went on to become one of the world’s most exclusive luxury items, with its extravagant price tag and years-long waiting list.The fashion accessory was born of a fortuitous encounter on a London-bound flight in the 1980s with the then head of Herms, Jean-Louis Dumas. Birkin recounted in subsequent interviews that the pair got talking after she spilled some of her things on the cabin floor.Birkin asked Dumas why Herms didn’t make a bigger handbag and sketched out on an airplane vomit sack the sort of bag that she would like. He then had an example made for her and, flattered, she agreed when Herms asked whether it could commercialize the bag in her name.The bag became so famous that Birkin once mused before her death in 2023 at age 76 that obituaries for her would likely “say, ‘Like the bag’ or something,'” adding: “Well, it could be worse.”Sotheby’s said that the all-black leather prototype was handcrafted for Birkin. It described it as a “legendary handbag” and “one of the most iconic fashion items ever created.”The bag has seven unique design elements that set it apart from every Birkin that followed, the auction house said.“More than just a bag, the Birkin has evolved from a practical accessory to become a timeless cultural icon. Its presence spans the worlds of music, film, television and the arts; it is a red-carpet staple, a fashion magazine mainstay, and a coveted piece in the wardrobes of celebrities, artists and stylists,” it said. Associated Press
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E-Commerce
The internets latest obsession: training and cheering on anthropomorphized anime horses as they race around a track. First released in 2021 as a mobile game for iOS and Android, Umamusume: Pretty Derby is both a racing simulator and a gacha game. In the game world, iconic racehorses of the past are reborn as horse girls (umamusume)anime humanoids with horse ears and tails. The characters get the chance to race again for prizes and glory. Players dont directly control their horse girls; instead, they train them and cheer them on. The game was already a hit in Japan following its early 2021 release, even inspiring a multi-season anime adaptation. But it remained largely under the radar for U.S. audiencesuntil this summer. On June 18, the English version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby launched. The game quickly went viral, picked up by popular streamers like Ludwig and Northernlion. On July 9, it hit its all-time peak with 50,725 concurrent players on Steam. As more and more fans discover the game, theyve started sharing clips and posting TikTok edits of their favorite horse girls. @jpartnmaaa Playing Umamusume and becoming the greatest trainer in the world Catch Me LIVE THURSDAY #umamusumeprettyderby #tokaiteio #funny #viral #gaming original sound – JPartNMA What makes the game even more compelling is that each horse girl has a real-life racehorse counterpart. TikTok creators are diving deep into their backstories, and searches for the original racehorses have spiked more than 800% since the games release. @gameyokai Haru urara is a symbol of never giving up! Her real life horse inspires you to always try your best! #umamusume #umamusumeprettyderby #anime #horse #greenscreen 60sec.Ver – (CV. ) & (CV. ) & (CV. ) Haru Urara is a fan favorite. As one X user wrote: even though shes just a bunch of pixels on my screen i need haru urara to know that i would do literally anything in the world for her. even though shes just a bunch of pixels on my screen i need haru urara to know that i would do literally anything in the world for her pic.twitter.com/wpUJYfHWug— Mug (@Mug4Times) June 30, 2025 The real-life racehorse behind the character became a cultural icon in Japan in the early 2000s. Despite ending her five-year career with 0 wins in 113 races, Haru Uraras unwavering spirit made her a national symbol of resilience. Now the farm where Haru Urara is living out her retirement has responded to the wave of new fans. I dont know if this will reach the overseas bros and sisters, but Haru Urara is doing super well, and honestly, shes probably healthier and more energetic than I am! reads an X post. 1400 pic.twitter.com/E9MKbUaPRj— (@animal_love_kaz) July 3, 2025 Whatever you do, dont look up the backstory of the racehorse Rice Shower.
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E-Commerce
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