California Feeling Space Pressure: With Florida ramping up efforts to protect and extend its space industry, California is getting a tad nervous. According to the Los Angeles Times, Florida and several other states are advancing space initiatives that are chipping away at the California space niche. One lobbyist told the Times that the space industry seems to have more clout in the Florida political arena. Hmmm.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.