SpaceX pauses Falcon 9 launch of Polaris Dawn By Reuters

Empires usually end their lives with a heady cocktail of too much spending and too much violence. Often, keeping people under control — at home and abroad — becomes the major expense. ‘History tells us that while all flourishing civilizations look similar, each failing civilization degenerates in a distinctive way. Today, we see unmistakable signs…

As expected, the shutdown came to an end in the customary way: both parties agreed to keep spending other people’s money. CBS News: The final deal will include a 31-page continuing resolution that extends current levels of government funding through January 2026 to give lawmakers more time to finalize full-year spending bills. But let’s pick…