Wednesday, August 27
Headlines
Ronaldo Schemidt/Getty Images
Starship’s 10th test flight succeeds, in big boost to SpaceX, NASA. The largest and most powerful rocket ever built went up to space and back, launching at 7:30pm ET yesterday from Starbase in Texas. The Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster both made simulated landings before exploding (the former in the Indian Ocean, the latter in the Gulf of Mexico). An expert source told the New York Times that the company “appeared to achieve all of their test objectives” and is “back on track” after three Starship tests failed earlier this year. The mission gives both SpaceX and NASA good news and momentum as they work together toward the Artemis III mission, which intends to put two astronauts on the moon and is currently scheduled for late 2027.—HVL
US government may pursue ownership stakes in leading defense contractors. On Squawk Box, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration was considering options to take stakes in defense companies following its $9 billion deal for 10% of Intel and that Lockheed Martin is “basically an arm of the US government.” Lutnick said he would leave the economics of such deals to the secretary of defense, but also added that the president is thinking of changing how munitions are financed. Department of Defense appropriations require the annual approval of Congress. Lockheed told CNBC in response to an inquiry, “We are continuing our strong working relationship with President Trump.”—HVL
Norway divests from Caterpillar over Palestine demolitions. The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund is selling off its ~$2.1 billion stake in US equipment-maker Caterpillar, it announced this week, citing Israel’s documented use of its bulldozers to destroy Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Gaza. The fund’s independent ethics council said, “Caterpillar’s products are being used to commit extensive and systematic violations of international humanitarian law” with the help of the US government, which buys the machinery and sells it to Israel. The White House, Israel, and Caterpillar didn’t immediately comment. Amid mounting public and political pressure, Norway’s wealth fund has divested from more than 20 Israeli companies this year in an ongoing ethics review, but Caterpillar is the first major US company to get the boot.—ML
Robert Reich
Office Hours: Will Jeffrey Epstein finally take Trump down?
It all may happen soo
Credit: Tom Tomorrow at thismodernworld.com
Friends,
Trump’s possible connection to convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein — who allegedly died by suicide in prison — may be the one thing that undermines his base of support and causes his Republican loyalists in Congress to turn on him. This makes it politically explosive.
With Congress now returning from August recess and the media and Congress looking into “Epsteingate,” the issue will either grow or disappear in the next few weeks.
Roughly half of the country now believes that Trump was involved in crimes committed by Epstein, according to recent polls. And more than two-thirds believes that the Trump administration is hiding information about Epstein.
At A Glance
Lost luggage auctions give a peek into strangers' lives.
... and ranking the worst US airports for flight delays.
How Alfred Hitchcock changed cinema.
Instagram launches new feature to connect college students.
Belgium tops countries with the most calories per person.
... and Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala create a new nature reserve.
Cracker Barrel to return to old logo after backlash.
How parents took over college dorm rooms.
Clickbait: Fisherman catches a rare blue lobster.
Historybook: Krakatoa volcano eruption, among the largest in recorded history, kills around 40,000 (1883); President Lyndon B. Johnson born (1908); "Guinness Book of World Records" first published (1955); Sociologist and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois dies (1963); American vaudevillian Gracie Allen dies (1964).
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "KPop Demon Hunters" charts four songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, the first time four songs from the same film soundtrack have simultaneously been in the top 10 of the chart (More)
> NFL rosters must be trimmed from 90 players to the active roster max of 53 by 4 pm ET today; see tracker of roster cuts for all 32 teams (More)
> Rapper Lil Nas X charged with four felonies, including battery against a police officer, following his arrest and hospitalization Thursday; he pleaded not guilty to the charges (More)
Science & Technology
> SpaceX scrubs second attempt at the 10th test launch of its massive Starship space vehicle, citing unfavorable weather; next launch window yet to be announced (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> Heat wave exposure can accelerate biological aging, new study reveals; each four-day exposure to prolonged heat was roughly correlated with nine days of accelerated aging (More) | Aging at the cellular level (1440 Topics)
> First human US case of a New World screwworm parasite following travel reported in Maryland; eradicated in the US in 1966, larvae of the insect devastate livestock and have been reappearing in Central America and Mexico (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.4%, Dow -0.8%, Nasdaq -0.2%) as investors await Nvidia's earnings report tomorrow and digest federal government's 10% stake in Intel, announced Friday (More) | President Donald Trump fires Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook amid mortgage fraud accusations (More)
> Elon Musk's xAI sues Apple and OpenAI for an alleged anticompetitive scheme favoring OpenAI's ChatGPT in Apple's App Store; company says they're colluding to maintain their respective monopolies in the smartphone and generative AI markets (More)
> US consumers with the highest credit scores are falling behind on debt repayments, with 90+ day delinquencies up 109% year over year; signals possible budget strains among historically financially secure shoppers (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> President Donald Trump signs executive order seeking to penalize people for burning American flags, characterizing the practice as incitement to rioting, violence (More) | Trump also signs executive order eliminating cashless bail across the country amid crackdown on Washington, DC, crime (More)
> Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital kill at least 20 people, including five journalists, per local health workers; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the attack a mishap, says military will investigate (More)
> President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, discusses trade and possible collaboration on shipbuilding (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Change can only Accelerate
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This was the same price I paid for a pack of 20 cigarettes, 2 McDonald's hamburgers, one ticket for a seat in a movie theater.
In 1966, I had graduated from high school and was getting to attend my first semester of college in North Carolina where the tuition + books + room/board was $1,500... Yes, this was the amount for TWO SEMESTERS.
It is also true that this was almost 60 YEARS AGO and there has been a lot of changes in a HALF CENTURY.
Now, think this through if you don't mind...
I have shared with you some changes from 1966-2026...
Imagine what the changes might be from 2026-2086...
Consider these possibilities:
- Flying vehicles
- Three-dimensional travel in urban areas
- Robot sex toys for adults
- Smart house with robots
- No more cancer deaths
- Bio-engineered children
- Food replicators
- Miniature computers implanted in wrists
- Vacations on Mars
- Education infused into our brains instead of HS or colleges
- Robot law enforcement/soldiers
- Space stations orbiting the earth housing a million residents instead of living on earth
Technological change is taking place quicker and quicker and sixty years from 2026, our technological change could possibly be happening every month or sooner. You will be inundated with change.
I thought change from 1966-2026 was happening quick... almost too quick for many of us... but a piece of cake for those in their teens or early twenties... how will they cope with change when they reach their 60s/70s?
Ants Are 'Superefficient' at Teamwork, Scientists Discover
Have you ever been part of a large group project? You might assume that with more people involved, the work gets done better and faster.
However, as more team members join the group, the effectiveness of each individual doesn't increase. It doesn't even stay constant – it gets worse. Many hands may make light work, but too many cooks spoil the broth.
This paradox is known as the Ringelmann effect, named after French engineer Max Ringelmann who discovered it in the late 19th century.
Tuesday, August 26
Headlines
SAUL LOEB / AFP
Trump fires Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Escalating his pressure on the independence of the central bank, President Trump yesterday posted a letter on Truth Social saying he was firing the Fed board member, citing allegations that she had lied on mortgage loan documents. The president can only remove Fed officials for cause, and Trump’s letter said the allegations against Cook—which were raised by his ally Bill Pulte, the leader of the Federal Housing Finance Agency—provided that cause. It was not immediately known whether Cook, who previously said she would not be “bullied” out of her role, would sue over the president’s decision, but if she does, it would likely ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. Trump, who wants the Fed to lower interest rates, has also threatened in the past to fire Chair Jerome Powell.
Judge blocks deportation of Kilmar Ábrego Garcia for now. A Maryland federal judge ruled yesterday that the US is “absolutely forbidden” from removing Ábrego Garcia—whose case became a flashpoint in debates over the Trump administration’s immigration policies after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador—from the country until she hears further legal arguments. Ábrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national whom the US charged with human smuggling and accused of being a gang member after bringing him back to the States, faces possible deportation to Uganda after being detained by ICE days after a judge ordered his release from jail.
Beleaguered property giant China Evergrande delisted from HK exchange. Capping off its fall from grace, the developer—which was once valued at $51 billion and helped fuel an economic boom in China—was removed yesterday from the exchange, where its shares had been suspended since January 2024 after it was placed in liquidation. Evergrande had been China’s largest developer by sales, but it also racked up more than $300 billion in debt. It quickly contracted when the government cracked down on lending and property sales slumped, and its collapse rippled through China’s economy.—AR
Robert Reich
Fascist capitalism will do him in
Friends,
I’m old enough to remember when American politics was divided between those who wanted less government (they were called “conservatives,” or the Right) and those who wanted more social safety nets (called “progressives,” or the Left).
It’s hard to find Right or Left these days. Instead we have something no one has ever seen in America — a personal takeover of nearly all the institutions of government and, increasingly, the private sector, by a would-be dictator.
Trump is on the way to occupying Democratic-led cities with the Army, National Guard, and ICE — in what appears to be a dress rehearsal for the 2026 midterms.
He is telling Republican states to super-gerrymander in order to squeeze out more Republican seats in Congress, to help retain Republican control of the House after the 2026 midterm elections.
At A Glance
Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte returns today.
... and Spain's "Tomatina" street fight turns 80 tomorrow.
A woman tried to get an AI chatbot to break up with her.
After the kiss cam scandal, Coldplay aids a proposal. (w/video)
NFL calls are about to get more precise.
These features could be coming to your iPhone soon.
Welcome to America's most expensive house.
Netflix recommends shows based on your zodiac sign.
Clickbait: That's how bald eagles really sound? (w/audio)
Historybook: Mother Teresa born (1910); 19th Amendment, granting US women right to vote, takes effect (1920); First televised Major League Baseball game (1939); 13 US military personnel, more than 169 Afghans killed during suicide bombing at Kabul airport (2021); Television host Bob Barker dies (2023).
A woman tried to get an AI chatbot to break up with her.
After the kiss cam scandal, Coldplay aids a proposal. (w/video)
NFL calls are about to get more precise.
These features could be coming to your iPhone soon.
Welcome to America's most expensive house.
Netflix recommends shows based on your zodiac sign.
Clickbait: That's how bald eagles really sound? (w/audio)
Historybook: Mother Teresa born (1910); 19th Amendment, granting US women right to vote, takes effect (1920); First televised Major League Baseball game (1939); 13 US military personnel, more than 169 Afghans killed during suicide bombing at Kabul airport (2021); Television host Bob Barker dies (2023).
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