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The NASA SpaceX Crew-13 mission launched to the International Space Station on Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The crew onboard the mission utilizing SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryantnikov. "During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct new research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit humanity on Earth," SpaceX said. "The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew the Ax-4 mission to and from the space station. This will be the third flight for the first stage supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-12 and one Starlink mission," according to SpaceX. "Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on Landing Zone 40 (LZ-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station." SPACEX LAUNCHES STARSHIP INTO ORBIT FOR FIRST TIME EVER BUT CUTS MISSION SHORT NASA said on its website that "during its mission, Crew-13 will investigate practical questions about how to keep crews healthier, grow food reliably in space, and validate the technologies need for deep‑space missions." "For over 25 years, people have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that help prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 crew members are set to join this long legacy, conducting science aboard the orbiting laboratory to advance research for exploration and deliver benefits for all humanity," it continued.  "The crew will use the microgravity environment of the space station to produce human stem cell-derived tissues, which can be used to support personalized medicine, disease modeling, and future pharmaceutical screening for conditions like heart disease and Parkinson’s disease," NASA added.  SPACEX UNVEILS $100 BILLION LOUISIANA LAUNCH SITE EXPECTED TO CREATE THOUSANDS OF JOBS "Crew members also study individual factors linked to blood flow abnormalities in space and testing a new inflight diagnostic device to monitor astronaut health," the agency also said. "They also will explore crop production for future long duration missions by installing a new, mostly autonomous plant growth facility and growing crops in plant pillows at a location of their choice throughout the space station." SpaceX said, "Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS        "Falcon 9 is… [TheTopNews] Read More.

Mortgage rates rose to the highest level since November 2023, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 7.28% from last week's reading of 7.03%.The average rate on a 30-year loan was 6.34% a year ago."With mortgage rates on their current trajectory, the housing market continues to be supported by favorable economic conditions," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist.The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage climbed to 6.6% from last week's reading of 6.42%.Mortgage rates are affected by several factors, including the Federal Reserve and geopolitics. Though mortgage rates are not directly affected by the Fed's interest rate decisions, they closely track the 10-year Treasury yield. The 10-year yield hovered around 5.23% as of Thursday afternoon. [TheTopNews] Read More.

The Federal Reserve's costly renovation project will have a new manager as Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has tasked the General Services Administration (GSA) with managing the completion of the project.On Wednesday, the Fed's Office of Inspector General released a report which found that while there was no administrative misconduct in the management of the more than $2 billion project, mistakes were made that have contributed to significant cost overruns and delays. Inflation contributed to those cost increases, as well as unanticipated project needs, while lapses in project management and contracting practices exposed the central bank to the cost overruns in renovating the Federal Reserve headquarters.The cost of the renovation of the Marriner S. Eccles and 1951 Constitution Avenue NW buildings as approved by the Fed's board surged from $1.317 billion in February 2020 to $2.381 billion in December 2024. Meanwhile, the timeline for completing the project slipped from the original estimate of the second quarter of 2024 to the end of 2027.GSA Administrator Edward Forst said in a statement provided exclusively to FOX Business that "GSA fully supports Chairman Kevin Warsh’s efforts to bring greater accountability, cost discipline, and effective project management to major renovation work across Federal Reserve facilities."THE FINAL VERDICT IS IN FOR THE FED'S TROUBLED RENOVATION AND JEROME POWELL"As the federal government’s primary real estate and building management agency, GSA will work closely with the Chairman and bring its expertise in construction, project management, and federal real estate to get these projects back on track," First said. "Together, we will focus on delivering better value for taxpayers and ensuring the Federal Reserve’s facilities are positioned to better serve the American people," the GSA administrator added.Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said in a letter dated Sept. 29 which accompanied the IG report that shortly after he was sworn into his role as chairman he was "briefed on the renovations and learned of the ongoing challenges that have hindered their progress."POWELL ASKS FOR IG REVIEW AFTER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FLAGS FED'S COSTLY BUILDING RENOVATIONThe chairman said that he sought the advice of Forst and the GSA in early August given their experience in managing large-scale construction and managing federal workspaces. Warsh's letter dated Sept. 29 said that, effective immediately, GSA will serve as the project executive for the renovation and report to the Fed, explaining that "we will ensure that the balance of the project is managed to the highest standards and is finished promptly."He… [TheTopNews] Read More.

President Donald Trump praised Boeing and its 737 MAX after a FlyDubai jet survived a dramatic plunge during an apparent attempt to crash the Israel-bound aircraft with more than 170 people aboard.Trump congratulated the U.S. aerospace giant Thursday, singling out the aircraft's ability to withstand the extreme forces it encountered during the midair emergency."Congratulations to the GREAT Boeing Company for producing a plane, the 737 Max, that was able to withstand G Forces and Strain far beyond what it was designed and expected to do," Trump wrote on Truth Social."It was an amazing show of precise and powerful structural planning and design. It is about time that The Boeing Company, which builds, by far, the finest commercial airliners in the sky, was given credit for this airplane’s incredible ‘genius!’ To Kelly Ortberg, and all of his officers and associates at Boeing, congratulations on a job well done!!!"TRADE EXPERT REVEALS WHAT TRUMP-XI $30B DEAL MEANS AS HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHESTrump's praise came after FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds Wednesday as a violent attack unfolded in the cockpit.Israeli officials said the co-pilot attacked the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft. The wounded captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the attacker before reserve crew members aboard the flight took control and landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Passengers have been praised for intervening as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude.All passengers were safe and accounted for following the emergency landing. Both pilots were hospitalized after sustaining injuries, according to Tabuk airport officials.FlyDubai has said the underlying reasons for the incident remain unknown and cautioned against "premature speculation." The United Arab Emirates launched an investigation Thursday to determine the circumstances and motives, including whether the incident was connected to terrorist activity or involved prior planning or direction.Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have praised the flight's captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, for his actions during the emergency.CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GONetanyahu told Fox News that Machchhar had apparently been stabbed or struck with an axe by the other pilot and had bled profusely.Reuters contributed to this report.  [TheTopNews] Read More.

America's skilled trades shortage has major employers sounding the alarm as companies face mounting demand for workers needed to build, maintain and power the country's infrastructure.mikeroweWORKS Foundation CEO Mike Rowe joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on "Varney & Co." to discuss the widening skilled labor gap, the impact of artificial intelligence and the growing push to steer more Americans toward trade careers.A new national report from the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades found the U.S. is expected to face roughly 1.7 million skilled trades job openings each year through 2035, while training programs are producing only about 55 workers for every 100 needed.CEO REVEALS THE 'SIX-FIGURE JOBS' YOUNG AMERICANS ARE OVERLOOKING AMID LABOR SHORTAGERowe cautioned that the shortage is not identical across every occupation or state, but said the broader problem is showing up throughout the trades."So what you're seeing across dozens and dozens of trades are shortages that are more or less universal. But individually, trade to trade, state to state, there's variance," Rowe said.For Rowe, the urgency is increasingly evident in conversations with corporate leaders.GOOGLE PARTNERS WITH VETERANS GROUPS TO HELP 25,000 ENTER SKILLED TRADES CAREERS AMID WORKER SHORTAGE"Every week I get a call, either from a CEO of some big company or some consequential industry. And they're freaking out. This workforce thing is the problem of the decade, and it's not gonna go away until we come at it from a different angle," he said.At the same time, Rowe said attitudes toward the trades appear to be changing, driven by the rising cost of four-year degrees and concerns about how AI could reshape the job market."Just through my foundation alone, the demand is up 10x over the same time a year ago," Rowe said. "So something has definitely changed out there in the ether, and I suspect AI has a lot to do with it."GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE [TheTopNews] Read More.