Fake News -- Elon Musk -- Getting Top-Secret Briefing On US Military Plans Re: China -- March 22, 2025

Locator: 48553FAKENEWS.

The original story on this subject published by The NY Times. Fake news?

Yes, fiake story.

Elon Musk is visiting the Pentagon this week. No classified briefing on US military response to China. Source. 

*****************************
Speaking Of Defense

Lots of money and DOGE hasn't done much about it yet ... needs to be fact-checked but Bill Maher (at https://www.foxnews.com/media/bill-maher-calls-out-elon-musk-doge-not-taking-chainsaw-defense-spending) notes:

• DOD has cut $580 million from its $900 billion budget (= 0.0006 = 0.06% -- but I often make simple arithmetic errors);
• boondoggle: F-35 program;
• why are we still focused on fighters when it's the age of drones?
• now, we're going to launch a new fighter program, the F-47?

***************************
Houthi Update -- US To Double The Number of A/C Carriers In The Red Sea
For Perhaps Another Full Month

For a short period of time, the US will station two a/c carriers in the Red Sea. The USS Truman will extend its time in the Red Sea for an additional month, to the end of April, or thereabouts -- needs to be fact-checked -- and the USS Vinson, now in the Pacific will extend its time at sea by an additional three months -- in the Red Sea before heading home.

This is being reported by The Times Of Israel.  

From Military.com, Thursday, March 20, 2025, two days ago:

U.S. military strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels continued into their sixth day on Thursday, as the Pentagon and Trump administration had yet to fully explain what prompted the resumption of operations against the Iranian-backed rebel group after months of relative quiet in the Red Sea.

Officials said the new round of strikes in Yemen may last for weeks and that they are now less worried about casualties.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday claimed the renewed military operation is necessary due to attacks on Navy ships and shipping, telling Maria Bartiromo on Fox News that "ships haven't been able to go through for over a year without being shot at."

*******************************
Stranded Astronauts Brought Back Safely To Earth This Past Week

Biggest space story in quite some time. Perhaps biggest human interest story so far this year.

Ignored by the mainstream press.

Covered in detail by YouTube.

***************************
Victor Davis Hanson

Warning: politics. Far right. Click on link at own risk. Not responsible for seizures or other neurological events. 

Link here.

*********************************
The Four Books This Weekend

Reading these books the past few months. I'm more than halfway through all four books:

Part of the Bible series:

• Stories From Ancient Canaan, Second Edition, Michael D. Coogan, c. March 15, 2012. Link here.

Part of US economy series:

• The Man Who Made The Movies: The Meteoric Rise And Tragic Fall Of William Fox, Vanda Krefft, c. 2017. William Fox: 1879 - 1952.
  
• The Chief: The Life Of William Randolph Hearst, David Nasaw, c. 2000. William Randolph Hearst, 1863 - 1951.
  

Part of the literature series:

• Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice, Janet Malcolm
• Gertrude Stein: 1874 - 1946
• Alice B. Toklas: 1877 - 1967
  

Contemporaries:

• William Randolph Hearst: publisher; movies, Hollywood
• William Fox: movies, Hollywood