IBEW Local 2088 Archives - The Space Coast Rocket

Business & Economy

Second NASA Contractor in Less Than a Month Warns of Layoffs at Kennedy Space Center

Robert W. Burns III -

October 22, 2026

Facebook Posts

The Space Coast Rocket

2 hours ago

The U.S. Added Only 116,000 Jobs in 2025, Not 1.2 MillionWhen the monthly jobs reports came out in 2025, they added up to about 1.21 million new jobs. After revisions, the U.S. economy added just 116,000 jobs that year, roughly 90 percent fewer than first reported.The figures were highlighted Thursday by economist and former Obama administration official Steve Rattner, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by the St. Louis Fed. "First reported" sums each month's initial jobs estimate, while "after revisions" reflects current data, including the annual benchmark revision.That works out to an average of about 9,700 jobs per month in 2025, compared with roughly 100,700 per month in the original reports.Several months flipped from gains to losses. January 2025 was first reported as a gain of 143,000 jobs and now shows a loss of 48,000. June 2025 went from a gain of 147,000 to a loss of 20,000, and August 2025 went from a gain of 22,000 to a loss of 70,000.Much of the drop came in February, when the BLS annual benchmark revision lowered the March 2025 employment level by 898,000 jobs. At that point, 2025's total gain stood at 181,000. Later monthly revisions brought it down further to 116,000.2024 was also revised sharply, from 2.59 million jobs as first reported to 1.46 million, a 44 percent drop. For 2026, January through September, the first reported total of 730,000 jobs has been revised to 612,000, about 16 percent lower.The BLS says revisions are a normal part of its process, since many businesses respond to its monthly survey after the initial report is released, and the annual benchmark is checked against state unemployment insurance records. Economists note that revisions tend to be larger when the economy is shifting quickly.The agency's numbers drew national attention in August 2025, when President Trump fired the BLS commissioner after a jobs report that included a large downward revision.#JobsReport #Economy #FloridaNews ...

Photo

View on Facebook (opens in a new tab)

The Space Coast Rocket

4 hours ago

VICTIM IDENTIFIED IN FATAL SHOOTING OUTSIDE GRAHAM’S BEACH GRILLThe Brevard County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man killed in an early morning shooting outside Graham’s Beach Grill in unincorporated Cocoa Beach as 33-year-old Walter Butler of Rockledge.Deputies responded around 2:18 a.m. Thursday after a 911 call reporting a person had been shot. Butler was found with life-threatening injuries, treated by Brevard County Fire Rescue and taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.According to BCSO, Butler and another man had a verbal exchange in the parking lot over a previous disagreement. The Sheriff’s Office says it escalated into a physical altercation when Butler attacked the man, who then fired a single shot during the fight. Butler went inside the business after the shooting and collapsed.The man who fired the shot stayed at the scene, met with deputies and was taken to BCSO Criminal Investigative Services to speak with homicide agents. Based on initial findings, he was released and continues to cooperate with investigators. He has not been named, and no charges have been filed.Agents are still working to interview others who were present at the time of the shooting.Anyone with information is asked to contact Agent Neil Lee of the BCSO Homicide Unit at (321) 633-8413.#CocoaBeach #BrevardCounty #BreakingNews ...

Photo

View on Facebook (opens in a new tab)

The Space Coast Rocket

7 hours ago

BREAKING: 82 year old Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, one of the most powerful Democrats in the Virginia Legislature, has been indicted on federal racketeering, marijuana trafficking and money laundering conspiracy charges.Lucas surrendered to authorities Thursday morning, according to the Justice Department. She faces five of the eight counts in the indictment.Federal prosecutors allege Lucas led a family-run enterprise that bought and sold more than 100 kilograms of illegal marijuana and laundered the proceeds. Her daughters, Lisa Lucas-Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and grandson Ryan Eichelberger were also indicted along with other co-defendants.The indictment alleges Lucas used her position as chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to shield the operation from criminal scrutiny and push legislation that benefited the business. Prosecutors also allege she accepted a bribery payment and failed to disclose her interest in a business on her required state financial disclosure forms.The charges come about six months after FBI agents searched Lucas' office and The Cannabis Outlet, a Portsmouth marijuana shop she co-owns. The investigation began under the Biden administration.Lucas, the president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, gained national attention this year for leading the push to redraw Virginia's congressional map in favor of Democrats.Lucas has not been convicted of any crime and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty i#BreakingNewse#Virginia #PublicCorruptionCorruption ...

Photo

View on Facebook (opens in a new tab)

The Space Coast Rocket

7 hours ago

Another protestor gets beat up at a Trump rally and the President praises the violence and the person committing it. ...

Video

View on Facebook (opens in a new tab)

The Space Coast Rocket

7 hours ago

**UPDATE: VICTIM DIES IN COCOA BEACH SHOOTING, RESTAURANT SAYS**The victim of a shooting outside Graham's Beach Grill in Cocoa Beach did not survive, according to a statement posted by the restaurant on Facebook this morning. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office has not yet confirmed the death.Earlier this morning, a BCSO spokesperson told The Space Coast Rocket that a suspect had been detained and that the victim had been transported to the hospital.In its statement, Graham's said the shooter and the victim knew each other and had a dispute at another bar in Merritt Island several days ago. According to the restaurant, the victim came to Graham's to settle their differences after hearing the shooter would be there.The restaurant said the two met in the parking lot and never went inside the bar, and that the shooting took place outside. Graham's also said the shooter did not leave the scene and stayed until law enforcement arrived.The restaurant said all staff members are safe.BCSO has not released the names of those involved or said whether c#cocoabeach #brevardcountyC#BreakingNewsevardCounty #BreakingNews ...

Photo

View on Facebook (opens in a new tab)

Tag: IBEW Local 2088

Second NASA Contractor in Less Than a Month Warns of Layoffs at Kennedy Space Center