Bad Fla. Weather Keeps Discovery in Orbit

14-day mission ends on West Coast after poor weather scrubs Florida attempt again

(NEWSER) - After bad weather kept it from heading to Florida for the second consecutive day, the space shuttle Discovery touched down safely in California moments ago, Space.com reports. The crew returns after a 14-day mission that including resupplying and repairing the International Space Station. More»

(NEWSER) - The shuttle Discovery detached from the International Space Station today and began its journey home to Earth, Space.com reports. The 13-day mission help resupply and repair the station; the seven crewmembers are scheduled to return to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:05pm Thursday. More»

Shuttle leaves California for home, mounted on a 747

(NEWSER) - The space shuttle Atlantis set off to return to Florida from its emergency landing site in California today—strapped to a jumbo jet. The Boeing 747 carrying Atlantis departed from the Mojave Desert Air Base and will stop to refuel along its trip at undisclosed locations. It's expected to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday, said a NASA spokesman. More»

Some ignoring information showing policy holders are dead

(NEWSER) - Dozens of states are investigating the possibility that major insurance companies have been less than conscientious about paying out life insurance benefits for their dead customers. The investigations began when 35 states signed up for an auditing firm’s offer to look for unclaimed life insurance benefits that could be seized by states as abandoned property. But investigators discovered that insurers appeared to be ignoring the deaths of some clients—even as they used those same sources to justify cutting off annuity payments to others, the Wall Street Journal explains. More»

Flooding, landslides expected in 'extraordinary' weather

(NEWSER) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in much of southern California amid “extraordinary and continuing rainfall,” CNN reports. Another in a series of storms is expected to bring more flooding and landslides; the declaration authorizes state agencies to help local ones in addressing the weather. Many areas have already seen more than 10 inches of rain over five days. More»