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Articles by Neil Stevens
Insuring space assets
This article is an extract from Lexology In-Depth: Space Law - Edition 6. Click here for the full guide. If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever. This quotation, attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas, aligns with the maritime origins of insurance and the current state of development of the commercial space sector. We need to be brave to engage with the risks ahead of us and also creative in the manner in which we address them.
Fintel Announces Acquisition of Fintech Provider ifaDASH
Fintel, the leading provider of fintech and support services to the UK retail financial services sector, has announced the acquisition of ifaDASH, a uniquely positioned practice digitisation solution supplier. The acquisition has been conducted through Fintel IQ, the business’s technology and knowledge platform, with an investment designed to support the accelerated development, growth, and reach of ifaDASH.
Is the Space Insurance Market for LEO Sustainable?
As the commercialization of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) continues at pace, there is a growing concern as to the continued availability of insurance for satellites operating in it. The last few years have seen Swiss Re, AIG, Aspen Re, and AGCS (Allianz) exit the space insurance market, with several others pulling back their coverage. The key underlying issue is that while premia are low and there is a low frequency of demand, risk exposure is significantly increasing.
Does Space Exploration Have a Sustainability Problem?
As space exploration from both the private sector and governments continues to grow, not only does the number of orbiting satellites increase, so too does the amount of space junk, or debris. Every mission to space leaves a debris signature. For example, small fragments of paint are released as a natural consequence of the separation activities between a launcher and its payload.
Risks and Opportunities As Space Becomes More Accessible
Beginning May 1st, BRINK Asia coverage will become integrated with BRINK, which will now include more regional coverage on risk and resilience issues.
Tech at Night: The runaway FCC on Net Neutrality. Why people need to pay for the data they use.
It’s funny how all the leftys who get outraged about Citizens United and corporations speaking out on issues (and the ISPs are right by the way) are totally fine when firms like Google and Reddit speak as corporations in favor of socialized Internet. The FCC is acting as lawless as every by the way. FCC Republicans were kept out of the loop on Chairman Wheeler’s new plan, proving this is ideological, not practical. Not that left-wing criticisms of Wheeler are any better.
Counting the Votes: Is there a Blue Wave in California, at least?
Did Darrell Issa quit just in time? By counting the votes in California, we can see if there’s at least a blue wave in that state, even if nowhere else. I said yesterday that there were three keys to the race. Let’s see how each one fared. First, I said that both parties needed to keep from splitting the vote too much, or else they’d risk not advancing any candidates to November.
Center for Immigration Studies Tries to Get Away with Promoting Racist Website
The Center for Immigration Studies masquerades as a respectable conservative group, but once in a while the mask slips. We caught them again his week! On Sunday, CIS sent out an email with an donation pitch, called “Immigration Opinions.” Right below that they put a bit of cop-out verbiage, like so: The sites and authors they link are mostly from one side though. National Review, their own blog, Front Page Mag, Conservative Review, RightSideNews, ImmigrationReform.com, Howie Carr, Norman Matloff.
New Poll: Republican Confirmed as Underdog in Tennessee Senate Race
In a year when the Senate is supposed to be the Republicans’ bright spot, starting out behind in a state like Tennessee is terrible news for the party. We covered the first poll of the year between Democrat Phil Bredesen and Republican Marsha Blackburn. But now Mason-Dixon polled the race and came up with the same results. Blackburn is losing.
On Earth Day, Conservatives Must Focus on Conservation, not Carbon
On Earth Day, there will be much talk of Global Warming, Carbon Dioxide, and all that other voodoo. The truth is, conservatives most avoid those traps, and focus on basic principles of conservation. Vice President Al Gore, right, chats with television host Bill Nye “The Science Guy” during an Earth Day ceremony on the Anacostia River in Washington Tuesday, April 22, 1997. Tuesday marked the 27th anniversary of Earth Day.
Retiring Sen. Bob Corker Throws A Wrench In The Wheel for Republicans to Keep His Seat
When Sen. Bob Corker (R – Tenn.) announced he would not be seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate, U.S. House Rep. Marsha Blackburn has been seen as nearly a shoe-in to take his place, due to her experience and name recognition around the state. However, Corker is clearly not a fan of Blackburn’s. On CNN’s Sunday edition of State of the Union, Corker told fill-in host Dana Bash he would vote for Blackburn but would not campaign with her against her Democratic opponent, Phil Bredesen.
Porn Star Announces Plans to Donate Lawsuit Winnings (You Won't Be Surprised)
In all the hub-bub over Stormy Daniels and the affair with Donald Trump, let’s not make the mistake of thinking there are good guys and bad guys, here. I mean, Daniels is likely the one telling the truth here, but she’s still a porn star, leaving her personal, broken brand across the back of morality in this nation. She’s also the type of woman that would sleep with a married man. Yeah, she didn’t do that on her own, either. Trump was the one that pledged a vow to Ivana Marla Melania.
Trump's Approval Rating in Texas is So Bad, He Barely Beats Fire Ants
A new poll that came out just today suggests that Texas, of all states, isn’t nearly as safe for Donald Trump’s Republican Party as it looks. His own approval rating is a disaster! I know what you’re thinking. “Yeah yeah yeah, clickbait.” But look at the facts. John McCain and Mitt Romney won Texas by 11 and 15 points, respectively. That lead dropped to 9 in 2016, when Trump only squeaked by Hillary Clinton nationally.
Now THIS Is How You Protest 'Horrible and Gruesome' Big Government
Okay, not THAT Eleanor Roosevelt. We’re talking about Eleanor B. Roosevelt, the wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s fifth cousin. Eleanor B. Roosevelt saw The New Deal for what it really was: a hideous, skull-faced, demonic monkey-scorpion. Or something. It’s like Mountain Dew’s “puppy-monkey-baby” if it had been conceived by H.P. Lovecraft. AtlasObscura isn’t usually a site from which we can pull material of political interest but this week it was.
Just In Case, Arizona Republicans to Change Rules to Protect McCain Seat
As John McCain’s health crisis continues, Arizona Republicans are preparing for the worst. They want to change the rules, on the fly, to try to keep his seat Republican. It’s a small technical change that Arizona Republicans are talking about making to Arizona law for replacing a Senator who resigns or dies, but the motive could not be more transparent. In the event of bad news, the Republicans do not want McCain’s seat to be up for election in 2018, a year expected to be very good for Democrats.
Justice Gorsuch Votes With Liberal SCOTUS Wing on Deportation Case and the Sky Does Not Fall
Today, the US Supreme Court struck down part of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes removal of non-citizens who have been convicted of what the law calls an aggravated felony, The petitioner in this case is not terribly sympathetic. He’s a Filipino green card holder named James Dimaya and he came to the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he drew his second conviction for burglary.
Is Mignon Clyburn's FCC Resignation a Sign Her Father is Retiring from Congress?
Jim Clyburn is under growing pressure to step aside and let young blood run for Congress. His daughter just abruptly quit from the FCC. What’s going on? Jim Clyburn has been in the House of Representatives for 25 years. Taking office in 1993, he represents a seat the Supreme Court ordered to be redrawn as a segregated district for black people. Benefitting from the forced redistricting, Clyburn has tended to win by 30-40 points, when he has an opponent at all.
New Poll: Kelli Ward In Last Place While the Establishment Cruises in Arizona
The Republicans are favored in the race to replace Jeff Flake in the Senate, but three Arizona Republicans are jockeying to be the nominee. Can the Establishment whip the Donald Trump faction? U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., waves from a T-6 WW2 airplane as she leaves for Phoenix, Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, in Tucson, Ariz. McSally announced Friday that she is running for the Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican Jeff Flake.
New Trump Executive Order Creates Task Force to Attack Relationship Between Amazon and the USPS
President Trump has been counseled numerous times about the situation with the United States Postal Service. He knows that they’ve been losing money for years, due to the advent of email, online bill pay, and other methods that have made “snail mail” cumbersome and unnecessary, for many. He’s also been counseled regarding the package delivery aspect of the USPS, and the deal with Amazon that is keeping the operation from sinking, completely. None of that matters.
New Poll: Do Americans Support Mueller Investigation of Russian Collusion?
Donald Trump’s firmest supporters think it’s time to end the investigation of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian agents. Do the American people agree? So this new poll came out asking just this question, and the results are conclusive: That’s right, a strong majority favor expanding the scope of the investigation. They don’t just want the President’s campaign investigated for collusion.
In Emergency U.N. Meeting, Ambassador Nikki Haley SCORCHES Russia
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley addressed the U.N. today, regarding the recent chlorine gas attack on the rebel-held city of Douma, Syria. And while Russia has deflected, called news of the attack “fake news,” and now seeks to place blame news of the attack on a “staged event,” even calling out Great Britain as being complicit in an elaborate ruse, Ambassador Haley is not flinching.
President Trump's Tweets About James Comey Find Interesting Echoes in Comey's Book
Yesterday, the first “leaked” excerpts of James Comey’s new book, A Higher Loyalty, came out. And no one could be disappointed. If you didn’t like Trump, you were gratified by the energetic slams Comey applied. If you think Comey is a lying crapweasel, your opinion was vindicated. If you are like most of us, you probably didn’t learn a lot about either man that hasn’t been made plain as day over the past year but it provided some chuckles and snorts and a few guffaws.
Report: Ryan and McConnell Refuse to Back Trump on Fiscal Sanity
The Omnibus budget was a disaster. Everybody hates it, it was worse than Obama, and it’s going to depress Republican voters. Trump’s team has a plan to fix it, but what if nobody backs the play? Chad Pergram at Fox News has been asking around, and this is a report that should utterly depress anyone who cares about fiscal responsibility: That’s a dense tweet, so let’s unpack this: The White House is going to send a proposal to the Congress, to pass a bill that cuts spending.
Twin Galaxies Boots Billy Mitchell
Billy Mitchell, video game star The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, had all of his records removed from Twin Galaxies. The accusations against him have conclusive evidence! The Internet era of video games has been a revolution. In the old days, video game records were mostly accepted on faith. Live referees, no recordings, and no Internet meant you just had to take people’s word for it. Well, it’s coming out that a lot of people were liars.
House GOP Retirements Near Critical Mass as Dennis Ross Retires
Dennis Ross of Florida is quitting his Florida House seat to spend more time with his family. This is more terrible news for a Republican party that needs good news. The headlines today are focused on Speaker Paul Ryan finally quitting, but Dennis Ross of Florida is also important. Ryan and Ross both have two things in common: They’re Republicans, and they’re quitting without announcing plans for higher office.
The New Story on the FBI Raid On Trump's Lawyer Sounds Fishier Than Yesterday's Story
On Monday, FBI agents working under the direction of the US Attorney (actually his deputy) for the Southern District of New York raided, literally, the offices and residence of Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
Rand Paul Is Out to Balance the Budget in Five Years With an Upcoming Bill
We sent Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to Washington to do a job, and contrary to the popular method in D.C., he’s actually out to do it. According to a recent Facebook video posted by Paul, he has plans to submit a budget bill that will balance our out of control spending within five years. As the Republicans have no plan for a budget plan for 2019, Paul is looking to take advantage of the fact that anyone can submit a budget. And as far as many Americans are concerned, he’s the man for the job.
Trump Dragged The GOP Down and Explains Departures Like Paul Ryan's
People can talk all they want about Donald Trump and how he’s a “disruptor” and a “vehicle for change” in the Swampy Swampland of DC. They can point to judicial appointments, removing regulations, the tax cut and that he “fights back” against the media. Terrific. That doesn’t, however, take away the taint that comes from Donald Trump. It does nothing to quell the obvious: Trump makes conservatism unpalatable to people who are not conservatives.
On Twitter, Donald Trump Confirms Paul Ryan's Departure
One imagines Paul Ryan has been working on a farewell for weeks, or even months… and the President just blurts it out. It’s remarkable that the guy will just Tweet this out: As with his other tweeting today, one can learn a lot about the inside doings of the White House and the United States government by following the man’s Twitter account. Republicans think that Ryan’s successor as the lead House Republican will have an excellent chance of becoming the next Speaker of the House.
With Bases Loaded, One Pennsylvania School District Has an Answer to School Shootings
I mean, what are they going to do? Knock the bullets like a well-pitched curveball? A school district in Pennsylvania are taking a proactive stance on protecting students against potential school shooters: Baseball bats. If that’s the last resort, what was their first resort? Hall goes on to call the bats “symbolic” and an “option,” in the event a teacher needs to fight back. I don’t think these people understand what happens in a shooting. I wonder how well funded that particular school district is?
Parkland School Shooter, Brother Might be Millionaires -- May Lose Public Defender
Nikolas Cruz, the confessed Parkland school shooter, and his brother Zachary Cruz may be worth as much as $1 million, possibly rendering him ineligible for a public defender, whose legal fees are paid for by taxpayers. Cruz committed one of the worst mass shootings in Florida when he returned to his old high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, and shot and killed 17 students and teachers and wounded an additional 17 people.
Get to the COPPA: Google in Hot Water for Spying on Children
You think it’s bad that Facebook’s systems were taken advantage of? What if I told you Youtube was intentionally, illegally gathering data about children? The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was passed in 1998 to try to keep businesses from taking advantage of, and spying on, children online. Enforcement is handled by the FTC. So it’s at the FTC that a new complaint was filed: Google has made substantial profits from the collection and use of personal data from children on YouTube.
New Poll: Who Should Be the Next Governor of South Carolina?
Henry McMaster took over as Governor of South Carolina after Nikki Haley left to become UN Ambassador. Does the party want to keep him there? Target Insyght polled the state. McMaster is the incumbent, but he can’t even crack 50 in a multi-way race. He is up 24, though, at 46%. Catherine Templeton, running on the Nikki Haley-type outsider platform, is in second at 22%, Lieutenant Governor Kevin Bryant is in third at 6%. McMaster’s favorability rating is good. He’s at +23 (59%-26%).
Trey Gowdy Blows a Gasket Over DOJ and FBI Obstruction
There has been a long-running battle between the House of Representatives and the Department of Justice and FBI over producing documents related to some of the FBI’s and Justice’s most high profile actions, such as materials on the surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, the investigation of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and the firing of Andrew McCabe from the FBI.
Breaking: Marsha Blackburn Crushed in New Tennessee Poll
Conventional wisdom has the Senate Republicans on the offense in 2018, but this new Tennessee poll calls that into question. Middle Tennessee State University polled the state checking up on the US Senate matchup between the likely Democrat, former Governor Phil Bredesen, and the likely Republican, US Representative Marsha Blackburn. This is the race to replace the retiring Bob Corker. So it’s an open seat race, but Tennessee is very favorable ground for Republicans.
Rhode Island Democrats To Put Money Before Lives, Tax Anti-Cigarette Devices
Smoking cigarettes kills smokers and the people around them. So why is Rhode Island set to place an 80% punitive tax on anti-cigarette devices? Quitting smoking is hard. Very hard. That’s why “vaping” is one of the greatest inventions in recent years. Vaping gives people a way to taper off of nicotine in a way that avoids the tar and other dirty, carcinogenic substances found in cigarettes. Vaping saves lives. And yet Rhode Island Democrats want to apply an 80% tax on vaping.
Trump Adviser's Connection to Julian Assange, WikiLeaks Catches the Attention of Robert Mueller
Longtime Trump pal (and unofficial adviser), Roger Stone, may be playing a game of Chicken with special counsel Robert Mueller. Whatever the case, he has their attention. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Mueller’s team are looking into Stone’s alleged contacts with WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. In an email to fellow former Trump adviser Sam Nunberg dated Aug. 4, 2016, Stone claims that he “dined with Julian Assange last night,” according to the Journal.
New Poll: Trust in the News Media Is Eroding Fast
Americans for and against Donald Trump are quickly losing faith in the news, according to this new poll. It’s not just a partisan effect. It’s be easy to dismiss a poll that says Republicans are following Trump and chanting the “Fake News” line, but this new poll by Monmouth University shows that Americans of all stripes are agreeing with the Fake News message. 77% believe Fake News reporting happens. That’s well more than Trump’s support level. That includes 61% of Democrats and 89% of Republicans.
Facebook Just Killed This Behemoth Media Outlet. We Should All Be Extremely Nervous
In the “hey-day” of social media start-ups, Facebook went from being a popular platform for keeping up with family and friends to a vital business resource. Media companies began to use the connections made by Facebook users to spread their content. Business pages grew exponentially. Some outlets – like Independent Journal Review – became media outlets precisely and exclusively because of their Facebook reach. During Obama’s two terms, Facebook was a vital resource to his campaigns.
Facebook's "Ugly Truth" Memo is All About the Price of Freedom
Dictators keep power by stopping opponents from talking to each other. Facebook’s “ugly truth” memo is about communication, and ultimately about the price of freedom. The regulators, competitors, and zealot are all out for Facebook. So they dug up an old internal memo that says true things, which means it’s politically incorrect: So we connect more people. That can be bad if they make it negative. Maybe it costs a life by exposing someone to bullies.
Baseball's Opening Day is Here!
Baseball’s back! It’s time to celebrate Opening Day! President Bush jokes, Friday, April 15, 2005, about a sore arm after throwing out the first pitch for the opening home game of the Washington Nationals Thursday night. Bush was departing the for a day trip to Ohio to speak on Social Security issues.
Trump Effect Over? Republicans getting STOMPED in Pennsylvania Poll
Donald Trump managed to win Pennsylvania in 2016, but buyer’s remorse seems to be setting in as the state turns HARD against Trump and his party. Pennsylvania voters appear dead set on sending someone to Washington who will oppose the President, and will back that vote by re-electing a Democrat governor, as well. Franklin & Marshall polled the state. Lou Barletta, Republican for Senate, is getting absolutely destroyed by incumbent Bob Casey Jr, 43-25.
OFFLINE: Wikileaks Founder Assange Cut Off From the Internet
Julian Assange has been hiding from the law in the Ecuadorean embassy in London for years now. But only now has he been entirely cut off from the Internet! Julian Assange greets supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Friday May 19, 2017. Sweden’s top prosecutor says she is dropping an investigation into a rape claim against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after almost seven years.
Conservative Group Loses Suit to Join YouTube Kid Friendly Mode
PragerU sued to get their (excellent) videos included in Youtube’s kid-friendly browsing mode, but lost. Should they have won? YouTube’s Restricted Mode is not the normal mode of operation for Youtube. It’s a setting you enable in your browser’s cookies that limits what you can see in that browser: Restricted Mode is an optional setting that you can use to help screen out potentially mature content that you may prefer not to see or don’t want others in your family to see.
Ajit Pai's FCC Has Had Enough of China's Spying
Some matters go beyond trade. When American infrastructure is under attack, we must keep our adversaries from taking control. So this week, FCC is taking action. I love free trade. I’m a person who would support the unilateral elimination of all taxes on imports (tariffs), because I prefer a smaller government, lower taxes, and a government that doesn’t pick winners and losers in industry. But China is a special case. As I mentioned last week, there is no such thing as a free market in China.
With a Legal Team Shake-Up, Trump Boasts of Law Firms Clamoring to Be His Russia Counsel
This is someone sweating, so don’t be fooled. We kind of knew the weekend was going to be a little manic for President Trump. The suspicion was that he’d be tweeting out his frustrations with the growing pressures of the Stormy Daniels interview and the ever-pressing Mueller Russia probe.
Stop Excusing Donald Trump's Roll In The Omnibus Disaster. He Deserves Blame, Too
The omnibus spending package passed by Congres and signed by Trump deserved to get flushed down a toilet. It goes against the entire idea of what makes for proper budgeting in Washington DC. Not that it matters. It’s been twenty years since Congress passed a budget where the president signed appropriations bills. The omnibus spending package is the new normal.
Trump Bans Gender Dysphoria Patients from the Military, But DoD Continues to Recruit
Donald Trump has taken formal action to remove people with Gender Dysphoria / “Transgender” issues from the military. Why will the military will continue to recruit these people, despite the ban.
SHOCKER: House GOP takes 10 Month HIGH in the Polls!
It’s been a bumpy ride for Republicans this year, but sometimes the bumps jolt up. Shocking improvement for the GOP in the Generic Ballot this week! The chart is just shooting up for the GOP. Having dropped to a pathetic low of 36.5 at the end of February, losing the entire bump they gained from the tax bill, they’ve managed another recovery. As of today they’ve climbed all the way back up to 39.5. Having not hit 40 since June 2017, that’s a 9 month high.
DC's Best Regulator Tries to Save a Small Business from Government
Not content with Restoring Internet Freedom from burdensome regulation, Ajit Pai wants to save a small business from a cronyist licensing law in the states. Did it work? Elias Zarate is a man in Tennessee. He’s trying to make something of himself, so he sought to cut hair. But in Tennessee, you have to pay the government thousands of dollars to have permission to cut hair for a living.
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