Here are some Cheddar News' headlines that are Good2Know.
SUPERCONDUCTOR BREAKTHROUGH
Researchers at the University of Rochester report that they've made a major breakthrough in the technology of superconductors, which could lead to a slew of innovations in the energy sector, including better batteries and more-efficient power grids. The crux of the breakthrough is that the scientists have created a superconductor that can operate at room temperature, rather than in sub-zero conditions. In short, such a device would make it a lot easier to move electricity through wires with less resistance and energy loss.
ELON MUSK IS BUILDING A TOWN
Elon Musk is reportedly acquiring thousands of acres of land in Texas with the goal of launching a company town for his employees. Entities connected to Musk have purchased at least 3,500 acres outside of Austin and are trying to incorporate under the name "Snailbrook." The name is apparently a reference to Musk's tunneling company Boring Co. A Wall Street Journal report noted that Musk is trying to provide affordable homes for employees for all three of his companies, SpaceX, Tesla, and Boring Co., which all have offices and plants in the area.
The world population grew by 75 million people over the past year and on New Year's Day, it was estimated to stand at more than 8 billion people, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday.
UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow. Wisconsin-La Crosse fired Gow on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, after learning Gow and his wife have been producing and appearing in pornographic videos. Gow maintains the firing violated his free speech rights.
The U.S. military is now putting independent lawyers in charge of its investigations of sexual assault and other major crimes, what Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has called the "most important reform" to the military justice system in recent history.
A decades-old law bans Medicare from paying for weight loss drugs. Now, drugmakers and a wide-ranging bipartisan coalition of lawmakers are gearing up to push for that to change next year.
Barring a court order, in March Texas police will start being able to arrest people they suspect have entered the U.S. illegally, but increases in border crossings since a 2021 law authorizing some arrests shows the limits of that approach in the face of desperation that causes people to risk everything and travel thousands of miles to the U.S.
Mexico began clearing tents, both occupied and unoccupied, from the encampment in the border city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, starting Tuesday.
