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More than most chemical markets, the cosmetic and personal care ingredient industry is subject to the feelings and fancies of everyday consumers. People tend to be conscious of the safety and environmental impact of the chemicals they apply directly to their skin and hair. It’s usually a good thing: the personal care sector often leads the way on sustainability, exerting influence on supply chains, novel chemistry, and industry practices. That responsiveness, though, also makes the industry susceptible to fads. Fashionable ingredients take flight far beyond what their actual performance merits, and a bit of bad press can imperil whole categories before rigorous science starts to speak. … read more in C&EN:

The increasing risk for wildfires is not just a problem for the western U.S. New research has found that the number of fire weather days are increasing nationwide, including in the eastern half of the country and New Jersey.

Lafarge and Heidelberg select technologies for CO2 capture and utilization projects Two construction-material firms have selected technology partners for facilities that will capture and use some of the carbon dioxide generated at their cement plants. In British Columbia, Lafarge is adding a CO2-to-chemicals system from the start-up Dimensional Energy to CO2-capture pilot equipment from Svante that has operated at its Richmond Cement Plant since January 2021. Svante captures CO2 with solid sorbents based on metal-organic frameworks. When completed, the system will pull 1 metric ton (t) of CO2 per day from Lafarge’s cement facility and react it with hydrogen to yield roughly 180 L of hydrocarbon waxes. ... Read more in C&EN

‘DeSaster’ trends on #Twitter following a glitch-filled online Ron DeSantis presidential campaign launch. https://www.voanews.com/a/florida-republican-governor-seeks-to-thwart-trump-s-white-house-return/7108333.html #Election2024

Over the weekend, at Herald Square Plaza, the Fountain House gallery had an art installation marking Mental Health Awareness Month, as well as the nonprofit's 75th anniversary. The installation is now closed but will reappear this summer on Governor's Island. Read more of what I wrote for amNewYorkMetro

Four small rockets were launched from a ship in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, testing a startup company's plan for developing offshore spaceports that could avoid much of the environmental and public safety concerns that arise when building launch pads on solid ground. The Spaceport Company, based in northern Virginia, launched 4-inch and 6-inch diameter rockets from a vessel about 30 miles south of Gulfport, Miss. The one-year-old company wanted to demonstrate its operations and logistics, which included getting approval from federal regulators, before developing larger floating platforms that would send satellites into orbit.

A veterans-brewed craft beer collaboration will go on tap Memorial Day weekend throughout Pa.

Houston’s Axiom Space sent two Americans and two Saudis into space Sunday. The crew will reach the International Space Station Monday morning, helping the company fine-tune its space operations while giving another country access to microgravity.

Blue Origin will develop the system that lowers astronauts to the moon for NASA's Artemis V mission, the third time astronauts walk on the lunar surface in NASA's current moon program. The space agency said the announcement is aimed at boosting competition and redundancy for these human landing systems. It's also likely a response to the massive backlash NASA received in 2021 from Blue Origin and members of Congress when it selected SpaceX — and only SpaceX — to develop this system. NASA is increasingly relying on commercial companies to own and operate space hardware. And Friday's news gives two prominent billionaires a lunar realm for battle: Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000, and Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002.

#G7 leaders’ statement on #Ukraine:

Amid the fight with Gov. DeSantis, #Disney pulls the plug on a $1 billion project in #Florida.

Houston-based commercial space company Nanoracks hoped its airlock on the International Space Station would open at least six times a year, becoming a door to push satellites into Earth’s orbit and to do experiments in the vacuum of space. But after two years, the Bishop Airlock has only opened once. It expelled 172 pounds of space station trash to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. The ISS is a busy place, and commercial efforts must be worked into a full schedule with competing priorities, government agendas and geopolitical tensions. “I don't see it as any sort of major negative sign to the industry,” said Greg Autry, director of Arizona State University’s Thunderbird Initiative for Space Leadership, Policy and Business. “I do think it is obvious, though, that you can make a lot of investment and get a partnership agreement with NASA and then be stuck because of other operational or geopolitical issues.”

I went to the Hill yesterday to hear OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testify before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on why he thinks they should regulate AI. Altman suggested creating a new agency to tackle the regulatory needs of the fast-paced industry.

Two men charged in connection with a Manchester graduation party shooting on Saturday will be held without bail. Police said they are searching for a third suspect.