NASA reveals new details for permanent moon base plan

At a news conference last Tuesday, NASA released information on its $20 billion plans for developing a permanent base on the moon, which will serve as an outpost for scientific research and testing new technology. 

During the “Ignition” event on March 24, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman first shared the agency’s intention to return to the moon in the current space race with China. China has not formally announced any missions to space, but aligned with timelines, goals, and roadmap arrangements, “America will no longer be the exclusive power to send humans into the lunar environment,” according to Isaacman.

“NASA is committed to achieving the near‑impossible once again: to return to the moon before the end of President Trump’s term, build a moon base, establish an enduring presence, and do the other things needed to ensure American leadership in space,” Isaacman said.

This week, NASA released specific information about its plan to build the base, sharing the timeline of its construction and implementation. The moon’s harsh conditions — with temperatures ranging from 130 degrees Fahrenheit in sunlight to minus 334 degrees Fahrenheit at night, along with meteors and space radiation — make constructing a permanent base challenging. 

The building of the base will occur in three phases, beginning in 2026 and continuing through 2032. The first phase — “Learn, Test, Build” — will consist of robotic missions to survey the south pole of the moon, test technologies, and prepare for operating on the moon’s surface. The second phase  — “Early Habitation” — will incorporate creating semipermanent infrastructure and beginning to map out the process for living on the moon. The third phase — “Sustained Human Presence” — will include an active presence on the moon and crew rotations. 

For the first phase, NASA announced that private contractors will largely support its expeditions. Companies, including Astrobotic and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, will provide lunar landers. Similarly, Astrolab and Lunar Outpost will build and provide lunar terrain vehicles for the first officially announced Moon Base missions I, II, and III.

DOJ sues UCLA over alleged Title IV violations 

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against UCLA in its investigation of antisemitism at the university, alleging the university maintains a “hostile educational environment” for Israeli and Jewish students on campus. 

The DOJ wrote that the campus’ 2024 pro-Palestinian protests and encampments in response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict created a heightened antisemitic presence, reporting that demonstrators physically attacked and injured Israeli and Jewish students. The lawsuit states that UCLA violated Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which promotes desegregation and stopping discrimination in schools, by failing to “fulfill its legal obligations” in responding to “reports of antisemetic incidents against students.”

In February, the DOJ sued UCLA for allegedly failing to protect Jewish and Israeli employees from antisemitic harassment. In a statement released by the DOJ Office of Public Affairs, DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said, “Now, the Department of Justice calls UCLA to account for its toleration of the equally appalling hostile educational environment against its Jewish and Israeli students.”

In response to the current lawsuit, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk noted in a statement to ABC News that UCLA had previously taken steps to prevent antisemitism on campus by hiring staff to strengthen law-enforcement policies.

“Let me be direct: the suggestion that UCLA has been passive in the face of antisemitism is simply wrong,” Frenk said. “Combating antisemitism is a moral imperative — one rooted, for me, in personal history that makes indifference unthinkable.” 

The Trump administration also demands that UCLA repay all federal grants from the last two years, during which the university was not in compliance with Title IV, and will prevent the introduction of new federal funds until the university complies with the act.

SDPD officer arrested for possession of child pornography 

A grand jury indicted 33-year-old San Diego Police Department officer Brandon McGibbon on May 20, charging him with five counts of child sexual abuse offenses involving three minors. On May 26, McGibbon pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. If convicted on enticement, McGibbon will face a life sentence in prison. 

According to NBC News, McGibbon, a six-year veteran of the SDPD, is accused of “engaging in the attempted receipt and production of child pornography” and “the attempted enticement and coercion of the minors to engage in obscene matter and sexual conduct” from Oct. 25, 2025, to Nov. 6, 2025. 

The FBI first became aware of McGibbon’s alleged actions in April 2025. An 18-year-old woman made a report alleging that McGibbon had reached out to her on the messaging app Telegram while she was 17 years old and requested pornographic videos and photos.

In November 2025, FBI agents searched the residence McGibbon shared with his stepbrother, his stepbrother’s wife, and their two children. The agents discovered a collection of digital child pornography and his cell phone containing messages to numerous minors, suspected minors, and women. The victims’ ages ranged from 13 years old to early 20s.

According to court documents obtained by CBS News 8 and Times of San Diego, McGibbon contacted minors on social media apps such as Snapchat, complimenting their appearance and asking if they wanted to be given “princess treatment” in exchange for sending nude photos and videos of themselves. In one case, McGibbon told a 17-year-old girl that he was a police officer and that he was going to “risk it all” to see her. Over the course of his conversations, McGibbon would send victims gift cards for Roblox, Shein, and other trending stores and gaming platforms popular among adolescents. 

The SDPD issued a response to McGibbon’s charges, stating that they suspended McGibbon when they became aware of the investigation, and stripped him of his police officer position. They added that they hold officers “to the highest standards” and that allegations against McGibbon “do not reflect the great work of the men and women of the [SDPD].”

IDF airstrikes kill dozens of Lebanese citizens

According to the BBC, the Israeli Defense Forces launched an intensive wave of airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least 31 people.

The strikes hit nearly 50 locations in Lebanon overnight, including the Bekaa Valley village of Mashghara and the southern Lebanese village of Burj el-Shamali. In Mashghara, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said authorities pulled the bodies of 11 people from the rubble, with 15 others injured. 

Mohammed, a 7-year old survivor of the attack, was asleep when a missile struck his home and killed his father and two sisters. 

“When I woke up, I felt like I couldn’t move, and beside me was just darkness,” he said. 

The IDF struck more than 100 Hezbollah infrastructure sites overnight, including more than 90 weapons storage facilities, command centers, and observation posts across southern Lebanon. In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “deepening [its] operation in Lebanon,” adding that Israeli forces were “fortifying the security zone” to protect communities in northern Israel. He vowed to “deal them a crushing blow” in response to Hezbollah’s escaping drone and rocket attacks, including fiber optic drones capable of evading Israeli defenses.

Hezbollah said it targeted three barracks and a military post in northern Israel, in response to what is described as Israeli violations of the ceasefire. Both Israel and Lebanon have repeatedly violated the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, in force since April 17. Israeli strikes since the conflict began on March 2 have killed at least 3,020 people, according to the Lebanese ministry. 

Plant Power Fast Food closes at UCSD

Plant Power Fast Food, a restaurant offering vegan and plant-based options at UC San Diego, closed on May 22. UCSD did not renew its contract with the establishment for the next academic year following seven years of operation.

Located inside Catalyst in Sixth College, Plant Power first opened on Aug. 6, 2021. The UCSD location was the restaurant’s seventh and only university-based spot. The vegan restaurant chain is “steering the future of fast food and making a positive impact on the perceptions of veganism worldwide,” according to its website.  

Co-founders Mitch Wallis, Zach Vouga, and Jeffrey Harris established the restaurant chain in 2016, with the first location originating in Ocean Beach, San Diego. The chain was initially known for its plant-based drive-thru concept and mission to promote a 100% vegan menu with sustainable packaging and building materials, along with clean ingredients. 

Vouga, who has pursued a vegan lifestyle since he was 18 years old, is “especially passionate about promoting a vegan lifestyle and doing his part to pave the way toward a more sustainable future,” according to the Plant Power webpage.