Rep. Giffords critically injured in shooting

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), wife of astronaut Mike Kelly and mother of two, is sworn into the 112th Congress, Wednesday, by newly-elected Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH). Rep. Giffords was shot point blank during a public event in Tucson Arizona and critically injured, Saturday January 8. Just out of extensive neurosurgery, her prognosis is "optimistic." Eighteen people were injured in the attack. Among those confirmed dead is a nine-year-old girl and federal Judge John M. Roll.

Jared Loughner (b. 1988) has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Irresponsible rumors, including deliberate disinformation, about possible political motives for the shooting are flying back and forth, but one friend and fellow "former band member" Caitie Parker of Ohio Valley in Arizona describes the alleged shooter as "reclusive" since alcohol poisoning in 2007.

She described his politics as "definitely left wing," though most sources demonstrate the assailant to be mentally ill.

'Child of Apollo' Jeff Hanley ousted as head of Constellation program

Mark K. Matthews &
Robert Block
Orlando Sentinel

NASA ousted the outspoken head of its Constellation moon program on Wednesday, prompting an immediate protest from congressional lawmakers who again accused the White House of taking steps to kill the project.

Word that Constellation Manager Jeff Hanley was moved to a deputy position at Johnson Space Center reached Congress just as the House science committee was meeting with NASA chief Charlie Bolden to debate White House plans to replace the space shuttle with commercial rockets.

"It is a great concern to us that you take the manager out of his position and reassign him to another position," said U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who has fiercely opposed White House efforts to shut down Constellation and its aims to return astronauts to the moon.

Read the article, HERE.