Kelly Beatty, senior editor of Sky & Telescope, talks SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, the possibility of a tax break for the company, and the upcoming lunar eclipse. The Falcon Heavy rocket is the most powerful this generation has ever seen.
Beatty says the company will have a six hour window to test Falcon Heavy's engines. If engineers can't test within that window, it will be pushed back yet again. The engines will have to prove they can accelerate to seven miles per second.
Beatty says a state tax exemption from California would help SpaceX. What the state would lose in tax revenue, it would make up for in new jobs.
The best place to view the January 31st lunar eclipse will be California, according to Beatty. In addition to the eclipse, we will also see January's second full moon (a blue moon), a blood moon, and a super moon.
Parallel Systems has been selected to receive $4.5 million from the Department of Energy for an advanced testing program of its autonomous, battery-electric rail vehicles. The startup, which has raised more than $53 million to date, was founded by former SpaceX engineers to reimagine the rail system by creating a more efficient, decarbonized freight network. Matt Soule, Co-founder & CEO of Parallel Systems, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what the company hopes to achieve.
A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) aims to tackle the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, as well as the addictive nature of the sites and negative mental health impacts they have on users. The 'Nudge Act' would require studies to find and compile potential interventions that platforms could use to encourage people to think before they share a post, or log off after spending too much time on an app. The FTC would create rules based on these findings, and hold the platforms accountable. But will it work? Jesse Lehrich, co-founder of Accountable Tech, joins Closing Bell to discuss the bill, whether real results and regulations could come from it, and more.
