Bob King

Washington, D.C.

Deputy Managing Editor at POLITICO

Deputy managing editor at POLITICO, interested in energy, transportation, technology and cybersecurity. Pennsylvania native and displaced Floridian.

Articles

Astro Bob: North to the aurora!

2 months ago | echopress.com | Bob King

In the past week, I've lost more sleep to northern lights than I ever thought possible. This despite the fact that the Duluth region has had little in the way of aurora lately. It's all about location. I'm traveling up the coast of Norway on the Hurtigruten ship MS Nordkapp, working as a lecturer for the Road Scholar Astronomy Above the Arctic Circle cruise. Big blasts from the Sun aren't usually needed to stoke a display at these latitudes.
Trump Signs Order to Claim Power Over Independent Agencies

2 months ago | rsn.org | Megan Messerly |Bob King

ALSO SEE: Melissa Gira Grant | Where Do You Protest Elon Musk? Everywhere, It Turns Out. The action is likely to face court challenges and test a once-fringe legal theory. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive order bringing independent agencies under the control of the White House — an action that would greatly expand his power but is likely to attract significant legal challenges.
Trump Signs Order To Claim Power Over Independent Agencies FTC, FCC & SEC

2 months ago | creditandcollectionnews.com | Megan Messerly |Bob King

Source: site President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive order bringing independent agencies under the control of the White House — an action that would greatly expand his power but is likely to attract significant legal challenges. It represents Trump’s latest attempt to consolidate power beyond boundaries other presidents have observed and to test the so-called unitary executive theory, which states that the president has the sole authority over the executive branch.
Trump signs order to claim power over independent agencies

2 months ago | politico.com | Megan Messerly |Bob King

The action is likely to face court challenges and test a once-fringe legal theory. While the executive order is sweeping in nature and represents a fundamental reshaping of the federal government, it effectively codifies actions the Trump administration has already been taking.
Trump signs order to claim power over independent agencies

2 months ago | yahoo.com | Megan Messerly |Bob King

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive order bringing independent agencies under the control of the White House — an action that would greatly expand his power but is likely to attract significant legal challenges. It represents Trump’s latest attempt to consolidate power beyond boundaries other presidents have observed and to test the so-called unitary executive theory, which states that the president has the sole authority over the executive branch.
Trump signs order to claim power over independent agencies

2 months ago | flipboard.com | Megan Messerly |Bob King

5 hours agoTrump announces executive order on IVF treatmentsPresident Trump and White House staff secretary Will Scharf announced three executive orders including actions to make in-vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments more affordable for Americans.Feb.
Astro Bob: February's short, but not on astronomical sights

2 months ago | pineandlakes.com | Bob King

Orion and friends, along with Jupiter and Mars, continue to command the southern sky. In the northeast, the Big Dipper stands on its handle, climbing higher and higher during the night. Look west in late twilight in early February, and you’ll still see Venus and Saturn holding their own. Sad to say, Saturn is slipping away and will soon disappear in the sunset glow. Come mid-month, you’ll need binoculars to catch it, and by month’s end, it’s out of the picture.
Astro Bob: Explore all 88 constellations with this fab new resource

Jan 4, 2025 | echopress.com | Bob King

How many constellations have you seen? There are 88 in total across both hemispheres. If you don't mind traveling to faraway places it's possible to see them all in a lifetime. I'd better get cracking. Although I've vacationed south of the equator several times in my three score plus 11 I'm still 9 short of a full deck. Any constellation-seeker needs good maps or apps to help find these patterns in the starry chaos of the night sky. One of the best is Stellarium Mobile for iPhone and Android.
Astro Bob: Quadrantid meteor shower kicks off the new year

Jan 2, 2025 | parkrapidsenterprise.com | Bob King

You may not be familiar with the Quadrantids (KWAH-dran-tids) meteor shower, but it's an annual event just like the Perseid meteors of August. Every year in early January, the Earth zips through a trail of dust and rocky fragments released a few hundred years ago by the object 2003 EH1. Most meteor showers have a "parent" comet. Comets are composed of dust and rocks bound up in ice. When a comet passes near the sun, solar heating vaporizes some of the ice, releasing the dust.
Astro Bob: Bundle up for a busy January of skywatching

Dec 27, 2024 | parkrapidsenterprise.com | Bob King

Busy, busy, busy. Lots of things are happening in the night sky during the coldest month of the year. Highlights include passes by two different space stations, a pair of occultations, a meteor shower and Mars’ close approach to Earth. The four brightest planets are still afoot. Venus and Saturn dot the southwestern sky at dusk, while Jupiter and Mars join the bright winter stars in the east. Keep an eye on Venus. It moves faster than Saturn and will overtake the ringed planet on Jan.