A federal service academy training officers for the U.S. Merchant Marine and related industries
John Merrone has pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to five counts, admitting to spiking a cadet’s drink and raping her aboard the Liberty Glory in 2019. Prosecutors say additional accusers are to testify; sentencing is set for December and could reach life in prison.
President Trump has signed an executive order to begin creating a U.S. Space Academy to train astronauts, engineers and civil operators for NASA, the U.S. Space Force and the civilian spaceflight industry. A presidential commission chaired by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman will deliver proposals within 120 days; the academy’s location and funding remain undecided.