Ohio Rust Belt Manufacturing Hub’s Dream Hindered by Delay and Uncertainty

Intel recently moved a large metal structure 140 miles north to one of its semiconductor plants in Ohio, an operation detailed minute by minute here.

Local school bus schedules were carefully avoided during the transportation process. The cargo, measuring up to three-quarters of the length of a soccer field, was moved by a team of White Crane Truck operators.

Intel meticulously planned 37 deliveries over the past 11 months, culminating in the final Superroad landing at the Greenfield site last month. This marked a significant milestone for the company, which has invested heavily in the project since its announcement in September 2022.

However, Intel’s success in logistics is juxtaposed with its struggles as a company. Stock prices plummeted by 60% last year, and competition with companies like Nvidia has intensified with the Advanced 18A Artificial Intelligence Chip.

Rumors of potential dissolution and acquisition by rivals have further exacerbated Intel’s instability in the industry.

The delays in construction have also raised concerns among Ohio residents and community leaders, who were initially optimistic about the economic prospects brought by Intel’s manufacturing plants. The delays have pushed back the timeline for completion, causing frustration and uncertainty in the region.

Despite the setbacks, Intel secured funding under the Chips Act and remains committed to the project. However, the landscape of the semiconductor industry continues to evolve, with competitors like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) making significant investments.

The delays have also impacted local residents, some of whom have seen their properties affected by the construction. Concerns about the future of the project linger as Intel faces challenges in meeting critical deadlines and retaining funding.

The uncertainty surrounding Intel’s Ohio project highlights the complexities of navigating the rapidly changing semiconductor industry, where competition and market demands are reshaping the landscape.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Trump may delay TikTok ban, reports say

President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of lifting the TikTok ban in the United States through an executive order once he assumes office on January 20th.

The incoming president is contemplating an executive order to delay the ban, initially set to take effect on January 19th, as per The Washington Post. However, the legality of Trump’s decision to suspend the Congressional law is dubious.

Per the law, TikTok’s U.S. operations must be divested by its Chinese parent company by Sunday. Failure to do so will result in new users being unable to download TikTok from app stores.

In the absence of Supreme Court intervention to block the law, TikTok is gearing up to block access to the app for U.S. users on Sunday, reports tech news site Information.


On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that Trump and his team are mulling over an executive order to temporarily halt law enforcement for 60 to 90 days, citing anonymous sources. The Supreme Court is anticipated to rule on the law’s progression, with recent indications suggesting it is unlikely to be halted.

“I have positive sentiments towards TikTok,” stated President Trump last month, requesting the Supreme Court to delay law enforcement to pursue a “political solution” post-inauguration. Congress voted to ban the app, owned by ByteDance in Beijing, citing fears of potential Chinese state data access for 170 million U.S. users.

“TikTok is a valuable platform,” affirmed Mike Walz, President Trump’s incoming national security advisor, on Fox News. “We will ensure data protection while preserving the app.”

The New York Times disclosed that TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chu, shared plans to attend President Trump’s inauguration in a prestigious setting.

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NBC reported that the Biden administration is exploring strategies to prolong social media platform operations post-Sunday to defer President Trump’s decision.

“The American public should not anticipate an abrupt TikTok ban on Sunday,” reassured an administration official to NBC.

Source: www.theguardian.com

SpaceX and Intuitive Machines delay lunar lander launch to February

intuitive machine The company announced earlier this week that it was working with launch provider SpaceX to postpone its first lunar lander mission to mid-February.

The Houston, Texas-based company said the new launch window “comes as a result of changes to SpaceX’s launch manifest due to adverse weather conditions.”

The new target launch date, one month later than the original January 12-16 date, is due to the mission profile. Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C spacecraft aims to land near the moon’s south pole and requires specific lighting conditions, including: There are only a few days each month.

The company is also constrained by launch infrastructure availability. The Lunar Module must be refueled with oxygen and methane propellant before liftoff, so it must launch from a specific launch site at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39A. This pad is the only one equipped with a tower to provide access for refueling the lander.

In the original launch window, Nova-C was scheduled to land on the lunar surface on or shortly after January 19, as it was on a direct orbit to reach lunar orbit. Intuitive Machines has not disclosed the exact launch date, but it is increasingly likely that it will coincide with plans to land another privately developed lunar lander. The lander, Astrobotic’s Peregrine, aims to land on the moon on February 23rd. That means we could see two privately developed American spacecraft land on the moon in the same week.

Both landers were developed as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Lander Service (CLPS) program. This program is an effort to recruit commercial landers to transport science and research payloads to the lunar surface. Nova-C will carry her six payloads for NASA as part of this initial mission, and he has been awarded two additional CLPS contracts for her to deliver cargo to the Moon.

All in all, the new launch window is a negligible delay for Intuitive Machines, which aims to base its business on access to the moon’s surface.according to Presentation released last Septemberwhen the company announced it would go public through a merger with a blank check company, Intuitive Machines expected to generate $279 million in revenue from its lander services next year alone.

Intuitive Machines is also launching a business unit related to orbital services, such as maintaining and refueling satellites, providing data services to the moon, and selling other space products.

Source: techcrunch.com