NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE THE 21ST CENTURY I’D BEEN HOPING FOR: Japanese startup plans to vaporize space junk using ground lasers.

EX-Fusion stands apart because it is taking the ground-based approach, with the startup tapping its arsenal of laser technology initially developed in pursuit of fusion power. In October, EX-Fusion signed a memorandum of understanding with EOS Space Systems, an Australian contractor with technology for detecting space debris. EX-Fusion has announced its plans to install a powerful laser system at the EOS Space Observatory near Canberra.

The initial stage of this project will involve setting up laser technology to track space debris that measures less than 4 inches (10 cm). This size of debris has been traditionally challenging to target from the ground using lasers. During the second phase, EX-Fusion and EOS Space will use laser beams fired from the surface to remove space debris.

I bet they could remove a lot more than just debris.

LABOUR IMPORTED A LOT OF PEOPLE — VOTERS — FROM PLACES UNFRIENDLY TO JEWS (AND BRITONS, FOR THAT MATTER): Antisemitic Activist Gets Cheers in London After He Says, ‘We Must Normalize Massacres.’

DECOUPLING: After 17 Years, China Set To Lose ‘Top Spot’ As No. 1 Exporter To US; China-US Trade War Benefits Others.

China’s share of total US imports has plummeted to 13.9%, marking the lowest percentage since 2004. This decline is substantial compared to its peak of over 21% around 2017. US exports to China have shown minimal growth throughout the year.

Stepping into the void left by China, Mexico is positioned to become the leading exporter to the US for the entire year, a status it hasn’t held since 2000. US imports from Mexico are set to record a high in 2023, constituting over 15% of the total for the first 11 months of the year.

The European Union has also experienced a surge in exports to the US, reaching an all-time high during the same period.

This shift in US trade patterns is particularly evident in the diversification of sources for critical products, such as consumer electronics, which have traditionally relied heavily on China.

Notably, smartphone imports from China have seen a 10% decrease, while imports from India have surged fivefold. Similarly, laptop imports from China dropped by approximately 30%, but those from Vietnam quadrupled.

Chairman Xi has no one to blame but his own belligerence.

ELECTIONS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE CONSEQUENCES, FELLAS: House Republicans Cave to Hunter Biden. “Hunter Biden had violated two congressional subpoenas. There’s no ambiguity in what he did. The House had all the justification in the world to find him in contempt and put the Biden administration in the position of choosing between prosecuting Hunter or not — neither of which was a great option for Biden in the middle of a presidential campaign.”

LIVE RESULTS: Follow the Iowa Caucuses Here.

FIRE THEM ALL: Biden Administration Antisemites Plan Massive Walkout.

SHOT: The economy is improving under Biden. But many voters aren’t giving him credit.

Chaser: Biden’s challenge: Convince voters this isn’t the economy they think it is.

Hangover: It Won’t Be a Recession—It Will Just Feel Like One.

If you have to keep telling people how great everything is, then everything is not so great.

SCIENCE! I Can’t Believe This Is a Real Science Class at a Real University.

VIDEO: What Changed Jordan Petersen’s Mind. “I worked with them for a few years, and I got disenchanted, in part, because when I went to the conventions of the party, I met the radical types, and they were the same as they are now. I thought ‘What the hell’s up with you people? You’re just bitter and resentful.’”

YOU WON’T FIND MANY “CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER” BELIEVERS ON THE LEFT THESE DAYS: The Fight Over Martin Luther King’s Legacy.

COFFEE, IS THERE ANYTHING IT CAN’T DO? Coffee grounds may hold the secret to preventing Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.

GEORGIA, MAN: Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout, Willis? Fani Goes to Church to Grandstand.

NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE THE 21ST CENTURY I’D BEEN HOPING FOR: Personal Aircraft Requiring No Certificate to Fly Hits U.S. Market. “To fly Helix, owners must be at least 18 years old, weigh less than 220 pounds, and stand no taller than 6-foot-5. Customers can place a nonrefundable $250 application fee on Pivotal’s website. To lock up a production slot and receive a forecasted ship date, they’ll need to deposit another $50,000 within five business days of the initial order.”

OK, BIG GUY: Putin Ally Says Poland Is Next. “Another question is to you, guys in the West, what are you going to do about it?”

OLD AND COLD: “There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious.”

The New Hotness: Feds are banning humorous electronic messages on highways.

MATT MARGOLIS: There’s Proof Biden’s Border Crisis Was Intentional… And It’s Being Covered Up.

SPACE IS HARD: We Finally Know The Full Extent of Space Destroying Astronauts’ Red Blood Cells.

In microgravity, the human body loses about 10 percent of the liquid flowing through our blood vessels, as blood accumulates in our head and chest. That’s why astronauts sometimes look swollen in their videos from the ISS.

For years, this was the explanation for space anemia. Perhaps the loss of red blood cells was our body’s way of compensating for a loss in blood volume.

But that’s not what the recent study found. Instead of equalizing the makeup of our blood, the loss of red blood cells appears to continue unabated throughout space flight.

Even after 120 days, when all the red blood cells in an astronaut’s body had been created in space, the loss of red blood cells continued at a similar pace.

“Our study shows that upon arriving in space, more red blood cells are destroyed, and this continues for the entire duration of the astronaut’s mission,” said Trudel.

When the astronauts were in space, the loss of red blood cells appears to have led to a higher-than-normal circulation of iron serum in their blood. Without as many red blood cells to transport iron around the body, the astronauts gradually approached anemia, which can be classified into mild, moderate, and severe.

When they returned to Earth, five out of 13 astronauts (one didn’t get blood drawn on landing) had reached clinically diagnosable levels of anemia, defined as the condition where the body doesn’t have enough red blood cells for its physiological needs.

About three or four months after landing, their red blood cell levels returned to normal. But even a year after their space flight was done, the astronauts’ bodies were still destroying 30 percent more red blood cells than before their trip to space.

Think of the study as (another) excellent reason to build much larger ring space stations, spun up to 1G.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Is That a Caucus on Your Calendar or Are You Just Happy to See Me? “If you’re a political junkie, you may as well just lay in a supply of popcorn and your favorite adult beverage, then kick back and enjoy the spectacle until all of the “peaceful protesting” breaks out or we’re all gulag-bound (or both).”

EVERYTHING IS GOING SWIMMINGLY: Tesla, Volvo Car pause output as Red Sea shipping crisis deepens. “The biggest supply chain upheaval since the COVID-19 pandemic risks derailing the global economic recovery, while higher freight and oil prices could reignite inflation. The canal accounts for about 12% of global container traffic.”

PROJECTION: Hysteria on the Left Grows That Trump Will Use the Military in ‘Dictatorial Ways’ If He’s Elected.

IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG TIME BEFORE I TRUST AI: Once an AI model exhibits ‘deceptive behavior’ it can be hard to correct, researchers at OpenAI competitor Anthropic found. “They concluded that not only can a model learn to exhibit deceptive behavior, but once it does, standard safety training techniques could ‘fail to remove such deception’ and ‘create a false impression of safety.’ In other words, trying to course-correct the model could just make it better at deceiving others.”

COOKIN’ WITH KDJ: How to Make a Perfect Commie Every Time.

FLORIDA MAN FRIDAY: Here’s the Best Reason Never to Do Fentanyl. “It’s your much-needed break from the serious news, and this week we have the dirtiest grandpa, golF cart mayhem, and how not to join the mile-high club.”

CHRISTIAN TOTO: ‘Beekeeper’ Takes Out the Trash (Including Hunter Biden?).

SCENES FROM THE Illegal Alien Bus War.