Jared Isaacman, the high-school dropout who will lead NASA
The entrepreneur is a foe of the “Old Space” establishment
In 2021 Jared Isaacman, the man soon to become NASA’s boss, bought a 30-second ad at the Super Bowl. Mr Isaacman—a boyish-looking 42-year-old billionaire, jet pilot and one-time owner of the world’s biggest private air force—had paid for four seats on one of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Viewers were told that one lucky member of the public willing to donate to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee, for which the mission eventually raised over $250m, would be able to join him and the rest of the crew.
Explore more
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “High flyer”
Donald Trump is setting new boundaries for political speech
You can probably guess who’s still free to say what they want
The education department is halved overnight
What does that mean for education in America
A selection of emails received by employees of the CDC
What it’s like to be a public-health worker or scientist at the start of Trump 2
America’s trade hawks fear the gaps in Trump’s tariff wall
Even as markets reel, some firms want the president to get tough on enforcing duties
Young Americans are getting happier
Depression and anxiety seem to have peaked a couple of years ago
How DOGE is driving America’s public-health guardians mad
Internal emails and interviews portray a workforce seized by fear and confusion