Tuesday, September 16
Headlines
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Elon Musk buys $1b worth of Tesla shares. The Tesla CEO is putting his money where his electric cars are, buying 2.57 million shares, in a show of confidence in the company as its shareholders prepare to vote on a pay package that could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire. Investors and analysts cheered his first purchase of the stock in the open market since February 2020, sending the share price up 3.26% yesterday—putting it up 85% from its April low to erase its losses for the year. But Musk’s big potential payday also gained a notable detractor: Pope Leo criticized the disparity between worker and CEO salaries, specifically referencing Musk’s potential package and saying, “If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble.”
China says Nvidia violated its antitrust laws. While there may be signs of a thawing over TikTok (see above), there were still some frosty signals as the US and China continued trade talks yesterday. Chinese regulators said that California-based Nvidia ran afoul of its antimonopoly rules during its 2020 purchase of Israeli networking gear maker Mellanox Technologies. China did not say what remedies it might seek from Nvidia, but this isn’t the chipmaker’s first time being caught between Washington and Beijing, since it has also had its sales to China curtailed by US export controls. Nvidia said it was in compliance with the law and would continue to cooperate with government agencies “as they evaluate the impact of export controls on competition in the commercial markets.”
US announces deadly strike on another alleged drug boat. President Trump said on Truth Social that the military had killed three “male terrorists” in a strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela in international waters. Tensions were already running high between the US and Venezuela after a previous strike two weeks ago killed 11 people on a boat that the US said was transporting drugs, allegedly with a connection to the Tren de Aragua gang. Venezuela and some scholars in the US had raised questions over whether that strike was legal, but with the second strike, the administration appeared to be doubling down on the aggressive strategy.—AR
Robert Reich
And if so, why?
Friends.
In the wake of last week’s murder of Charlie Kirk, the phrase “civil war” has spiked on social media and in Google searches. Trump has blamed the left for what he says was “savage rhetoric” leading to Kirk’s death and has vowed to go after “those who contributed to this atrocity.”
Democrats and Republicans in Congress have lashed out at each other and are ever more fearful for their own safety. People who castigated Kirk and his views have been targeted and exposed by right-wing influencers.
One historian told me that our current political moment parallels the 1850s, in the lead-up to the Civil War — including the deployment of troops to American cities, widespread disillusionment with the Supreme Court, and spasms of political violence, especially from disaffected young men.
At A Glance
How US currency has evolved over 250 years.
Dive deep with a marine scientist leading his first expedition.
How chronic stress alters the brain.
Ranking America's hidden-gem housing markets.
Japan yet again sets the record for most centenarians.
Wailing infants give adults hot flushes.
Why most windmills have three blades. (w/video)
These are the most-searched pumpkin spice recipes.
Clickbait: Mahiri the giraffe uses an inhaler.
Historybook: Pilgrims depart from England on the Mayflower (1620); Actress Lauren Bacall born (1924); American musician BB King born (1925); Historian and author Henry Louis Gates Jr. born (1950); Golfer Bryson DeChambeau born (1993).
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Jamaican Oblique Seville win women's and men's 100-meter titles at Track and Field World Championships (More) | 2025 WNBA playoffs kick off; see complete first round schedule (More)
> "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" hauls in $70M for the biggest US domestic box office opening weekend ever for an anime film (More)
> Terence Crawford beats Canelo Alvarez to become first male boxer to be undisputed world champion in three weight classes (More) | Ricky Hatton, British former world champion boxer, dies at age 46 (More)
Science & Technology
> Electric vehicle sales in January through August rise 25% worldwide compared to the same window last year, increase 6% in North America (More)
> New tsunami alert system from NASA successfully detected 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in late July, provided warning to Hawaii 30 to 40 minutes before waves arrived (More)
> Neuroscientists create miniature wearable microscope allowing imaging of mouse brains in real time; will help link behaviors and perception with specific brain circuits (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed Friday (S&P 500 -0.0%, Dow -0.6%, Nasdaq +0.4%) in lead-up to anticipated interest rate cuts this week (More)
> Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, backed by the Winklevoss twins, raises $425M in initial public offering, with shares closing up 14.3% (More) | What are IPOs and how do they work? (1440 Topics)
> Penske Media—owner of Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety—sues Google over AI summaries; attributes drop in site traffic, revenue to the rollout (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Memorial honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk is set for this upcoming Sunday, Sept. 21, in Arizona (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> Taliban rulers say they have reached a deal with the US to swap detainees, with at least six Americans still held captive in Afghanistan; White House has not confirmed as of this writing (More)
> Romania and Poland deploy fighter jets to protect their airspace following detection of Russian drones (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Neighbors
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I was talking with two of my neighbors today; it the neighbor to the left of me and the neighbor to the left of that neighbor. In short, we were on the same side of the street if that makes any difference.
We were talking about our past and all the bad stuff we did during our pre-teen and teen years, and how those years did not just define who we were, but those years turned us around from who we were into something different, presumedly better.
It was like we were trying to be recognized for being the worst BAD ASS, as if that was somehow important to us all, since that personality was no longer who we are today, so we could be as bad as we needed to be.
Right now, I am trying to figure out why that might have been important to us today?
Who transformed the most, perhaps?
Our bragging consisted of theft, grand theft auto, breaking and entering, taking drugs, and being falsely accused of murder due to associations.
All of us are in our seventies (72-76-77) and I am wondering just how accurate our stories were and how much of it was unintentionally (or intentionally) distorted...
We did not want to talk about politics or religion or economics because those topics are all filled with emotional, misguided, or inaccurate beliefs and argument like that always end in animosity for not being able to convince the other person, you are correct. With THREE, it is even worse when two side against one.
I know neighbors are supposed to talk and be friendly, but I am wondering it that protocol needs to be re-evaluated.
Tiny gold quantum needles with astonishing powers discovered
Structural evolution of gold nanoclusters: From anisotropic nucleation to growth into gold quantum needles. The structures were determined by X-ray crystallography. Organic residues of the surface ligands were omitted for clarity. Color code: Au (gold): yellow; S: red. Credit: Takano et al 2025
Researchers Shinjiro Takano, Yuya Hamasaki, and Tatsuya Tsukuda of the University of Tokyo have successfully visualized the geometric structure of growing gold nanoclusters in their earliest stages. During this process, they also successfully "grew" a novel structure of elongated nanoclusters, which they named "gold quantum needles."
Thanks to their responsiveness to light in the near-infrared range, these "needles" could enable much higher-resolution biomedical imaging and more efficient light-energy conversion. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Monday, September 15
Headlines
Eric Thayer/Getty Images
Charlie Kirk’s memorial is set for Sunday, and other updates. The conservative activist’s public memorial will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, on Sept. 21. On Friday, President Trump confirmed that he would attend. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said the assassination suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is “not cooperating” with investigators. Cox said on Sunday morning news shows that a motive was still being determined, and that more information may come out when charges are filed and Robinson appears in court tomorrow. Vice President JD Vance announced last night that he will host The Charlie Kirk Show today from the White House at noon ET to “pay tribute to my friend.”
Utah governor calls social media “evil” and a “cancer.” Yesterday on NBC, Gov. Spencer Cox said, “I believe that social media has played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt that we have seen over the last five, six years. Cancer probably isn’t a strong enough word.” He also called the executives behind social media companies “conflict entrepreneurs” and that it took decades “to realize how evil these algorithms are.” The governor also said that alleged shooter Tyler Robinson had a “leftist ideology,” and spent large amounts of time in the “dark corners of the internet.” The state of Utah passed some social media laws to protect minors, most recently in 2024, but they have not taken effect since a federal judge temporarily blocked them.
The Pitt, The Studio, took home top Emmy Awards. “Chaotic workplace shows” have not only become “comfort TV,” as the Wall Street Journal reported, but also award winners. Apple TV+’s The Studio won 13 honors, including Seth Rogen’s first Emmy for best actor in a comedy and best comedy series. HBO Max’s The Pitt won five awards, including the coveted best drama series trophy. Each episode covers an hour during one shift in an ER, which some viewers in the medical profession find hits too close to work. One of The Studio’s showrunners, Peter Huyck, told the WSJ before the awards ceremony, “What we’re all drawing on is our own personal experiences in this town [Hollywood], and the stress we carry every day.” See the complete list of Primetime Emmy Award winners here.—HVL
Robert Reich
It’s a last-ditch effort to discredit all Trump’s political opponents. It will fail.
Friends,
We are now witnessing the start of what might be seen as Phase 2 of Trump’s efforts to eradicate political opposition.
Phase 1 has centered on silencing criticism. It has featured retribution toward people Trump deemed personal “enemies” — not just Democrats who had led the criticisms and prosecutions of him in his first term but also Republicans and his own first-term appointees who subsequently criticized him, such as John Bolton.
Phase 1 also entailed an assault on universities that utilize so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” harbor faculty members and students who speak out critically against Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocide in Palestine, or offer classes critical of the United States’s history toward Black people and Native Americans.
At A Glance
The African island facing a yearlong internet shutdown.
Tooth-in-eye surgery helps man regain eyesight.
How scientists created the first cloned yak.
Drone show recreates Michelangelo's works above the Vatican.
See photographs of a herd of happy elephants.
"The Conjuring" house heads for auction on Halloween.
World's tallest sunflower is over three stories high.
Man travels over 26 miles in a mushroom kayak.
Clickbait: Inside the world of fantasy coffins.
Historybook: Mystery writer Agatha Christie born (1890); Muhammad Ali defeats Leon Spinks to win heavyweight title for the third time (1978); Prince Harry born (1984); Google.com registered as domain name (1997).
Sovereign Oil Syndicate
What is OPECOPEC—the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries—was founded in Iraq in 1960 to coordinate oil policy among major exporters. Initially a reaction to Western dominance of global oil markets, it evolved into a powerful bloc capable of reshaping global energy prices, geopolitics, and development.
OPEC works by setting production quotas for each member country. By coordinating supply cuts or increases, the group can tighten or loosen global oil supply, pushing prices up or down.
Today, OPEC has 12 member countries spanning the Middle East, Africa, and South America—Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela—and works closely with nonmember oil-producing allies in the wider OPEC+ group.
... Read our full explainer on the group here.
Also, check out ...
> How OPEC first used oil as a geopolitical weapon in 1967. (More)
> Trace the rise of oil from early drilling to global power. (More)
> How does the broader OPEC+ group work? (More)
'Defence of Fort M'Henry'
What is the national anthem of the US?
“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. The song is based on a poem written by Francis Scott Key 211 years ago, on Sept. 14, 1814, during the War of 1812, while watching American troops hold off British forces at the Battle of Baltimore. Written in the battle’s immediate aftermath, the original poem borrowed a melody from a popular British song of the time.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” grew popular with Americans. In 1931, President Herbert Hoover approved a bill that finally designated it the national anthem. Soon after, other sports leagues made its performance a regular feature before games.
It’s become an American tradition for artists to put their spin on the anthem when performing it (see Whitney Houston's iconic 1991 Super Bowl rendition).
The song is still popular some 200 years later, with Americans overwhelmingly saying they would not prefer a change.
... Read our full overview on the anthem here.
Also, check out ...
> How printers eventually changed the name of the national anthem. (More)
> The 1918 origins of performing the anthem at sporting events in the US. (More)
> Roughly 60% of Americans prefer to keep the existing national anthem. (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Myrtle Beach
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When we retired in 2015, we took vacations every other month for a week until COVID hit, but we always found time to spend at least a week or two at Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach is about six and a half hours from where we live in East TN, if we drive just a few miles over the speed limits. If we try to drive faster, we may get there in a tad under five hours, but we have burned more gasoline and increased our stress by looking out for highway patrol who have gotten more sneaky.
We may take open snacks with us along with ground coffee and filters but everything else we buy down there, knowing it will be more expensive. Our condo comes with a fully equipped kitchen, but we only use it for breakfast and lunch. We always go out to dinner, making sure that we eat at a nice restaurant at least half of the nights.
We always rent chairs and umbrellas and take beach towels that I place in the chair because my butts starts to hurt after a few hours.
Each morning, we are under the umbrella by 9:00 am and we leave when the lifeguards start taking down the umbrellas at 4:00 pm. During the day, my wife reads while I either write poetry or listen to audio books on tape. Sometimes, we walk along the shoreline and sometimes, we just sit and watch the waves.
Myrtle Beach, when I was growing up, was considered to be the POOR MAN's VACATION... which typically meant back then that uneducated families went to Myrtle Beach, not the educated, sophisticated ones. I would say that philosophy has changed substantially over the last 50-60 years.
A Glittering Stellar Nursery Shines In New JWST Image
Pismis 24-1 is in the Pismis 24 star cluster. The star is in the center of this image, where the filament of gas points upward.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)
The JWST has a well-earned reputation for delivering incredible images of the cosmos. From its very first image, the powerful space telescope has regularly wowed us with images of galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and other cosmic objects. One of the telescope's main science themes concerns the birth of stars, and in a new image, the JWST zoomed in on Pismis 24-1, a brilliant young star in the Pismis 24 cluster.
The Pismis 24 cluster an active star forming region more than 5,000 light-years away in the Lobster Nebula. Pismis 24-1 is the brightest star in the cluster, and it and the entire cluster represent one of astronomers' best opportunities to study the birth of stars.
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