The X-44 Manta and the Future of Air Dominance
Story by Emma Taylor • 9h


In the high-stakes world of aerial combat, where supremacy in the skies can determine the outcome of conflicts, innovation is not just welcome—it’s essential. The U.S. Air Force’s vision for such innovation was encapsulated in the form of the X-44 Manta, an ambitious project by Lockheed Martin that promised to redefine the boundaries of stealth and maneuverability.

The X-44 Manta, a concept that emerged from the collaboration between Lockheed Martin and NASA, boasted a radical design that did away with conventional tail surfaces altogether. Its “stretched delta-wing mainplane” silhouette aimed to create the ultimate low-visibility fighter, potentially outclassing even the F-22A Raptor.
 
This tailless delta-wing aircraft was designed to be a powerhouse in the sky, equipped with thrust-vector control for exceptional agility. Powered by Pratt & Whitney’s turbofan engines, the X-44 aimed to thrust forward with an impressive 35,000 pounds of power, reaching speeds of about 1,500 miles per hour.

The X-44 Manta was not just about stealth. It was designed to carry a formidable array of weapons, including an internal cannon, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, and GBU-32 JDAMs. This arsenal would have provided the X-44 with both air-to-air and ground attack capabilities, potentially making it an unmatched combatant in the skies.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-x-44-manta-and-the-future-of-air-dominance/ar-BB1moTpx?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=bf7e96306516472fa1ed9d5bfda23285&ei=61

Fact check: Biden again falsely claims inflation was 9% when he became president
Story by Daniel Dale, CNN • 12h •

For the second time in less than a week, President Joe Biden falsely claimed Tuesday that the inflation rate was 9% when he began his presidency.

Biden was criticized by many Republicans, including former president and current presidential rival Donald Trump, for telling CNN in an interview last Wednesday: “No president’s had the run we’ve had in terms of creating jobs and bringing down inflation. It was 9% percent when I came to office, 9%.”
 
Biden repeated the claim about the inflation rate, albeit in slightly vaguer form, in a Tuesday interview with Yahoo Finance. This time, he said: “I think inflation has gone slightly up. It was at 9% when I came in, and it’s now down around 3%.”

Facts First: Biden’s claim that the inflation rate was 9% when he became president is not close to true. The year-over-year inflation rate in January 2021, the month of his inauguration, was about 1.4%. The Biden-era inflation rate did peak at about 9.1% – but that peak occurred in June 2022, after Biden had been president for more than 16 months. The March 2024 inflation rate, the most recent available rate at the time Biden made these comments, was about 3.5%, up from about 3.2% the month prior.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/fact-check-biden-again-falsely-claims-inflation-was-9-when-he-became-president/ar-BB1moqey?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=bf7e96306516472fa1ed9d5bfda23285&ei=52

Iran and the Houthis have defeated the US military
Opinion by Daniel DePetris • 6h •


Americans are taught at a young age to not only love their country but to marvel at its power. Whether it’s on the stump, during speeches or at a press event, politicians and policymakers on both ends of the political spectrum are quick to marvel at just how impactful the United States is around the world. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s contention that the US is “the indispensable nation” is still a central part of the American vocabulary. As President Biden told the nation last October, “America is a beacon to the world...We are, as my friend Madeleine Albright said, the indispensable nation.”
 
It’s hard not to be sympathetic to this line of argument. The US, after all, holds a quarter of the world’s gross domestic product. The US military is second to none, with the US spending more on defense than the next nine countries combined. The US has extensive influence in international commerce; 58 per cent of global currency reserves are in US dollars, Washington holds significant influence in international economic institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and America’s system of alliances is unrivaled by any other major power.

Yet what US policymakers frequently fail to grasp is that power doesn’t necessarily equate to unlimited influence. The architects of US foreign policy all too often assume the US is all powerful, that it can will events out of whole cloth and coerce friends and adversaries alike to adapt their policies to Washington’s liking.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-and-the-houthis-have-defeated-the-us-military/ar-BB1mpiZB?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=bf7e96306516472fa1ed9d5bfda23285&ei=33

What is the big deal here?  I clearly remember Nazi Pelosi saying unemployment is good for the economy!  The media should be celebrating Biden's fine job.