🌊 Bad Day to be Air in Oklahoma

New factory to suck carbon out of air in massive experiment…

24 years ago today, a generation of Americans learned to say hola.

You might think this is an ordinary Wednesday in your life, but it’s not: It’s the 24th anniversary of the premiere of “Dora the Explorer.” She taught millions of kids how to count, say the alphabet, and the highly practical skill of counting the bananas hovering over bushes. Although we don’t know what happened to Dora, we have a high degree of confidence that Swiper got a job at CNN. Or perhaps more aptly… Fox News.

🤖 Do humans have beef with AI?

📲 Trump returns to X

🤣 Secret Service issues Code Brown

–Max, Max, and Owen

KEY STORY

Martian Water Found

For the first time, scientists discovered liquid water on Mars

  • Scientists identified liquid water ~10 miles (16 km) beneath Mars’ surface. They believe there is enough water to fill an ocean on the planet’s surface

  • The discovery was made using data from NASA’s Mars Lander, which was on Mars from 2018 to 2022 and contained a seismometer that collected data on subterranean earthquakes. By measuring how fast these seismic waves traveled, scientists deduced what material the waves moved through. It’s the same technique prospectors use to find oil

Dig Deeper

  • While scientists have previously discovered ice at Mars’ poles and evidence of vapor in its atmosphere, this is the first time liquid water has been detected on the planet

  • A UC Berkeley professor involved with the study added that water is “the most important molecule in shaping the evolution of a planet” and that this finding finally solves the mystery of “where did all the Martian water go?”

KEY STORY

US: Bombs to Saudi

The US announced it would end its ban on shipping bombs to Saudi Arabia

  • Saudi Arabia is the largest importer of American arms. Obama cut some arms shipments in 2016, though, citing bombings that killed civilians in Yemen. Trump relaxed those restrictions, but Biden – who vowed to turn Saudi Arabia into a “pariah” – banned bomb transfers upon taking office

  • The US has since turned back to Saudi to stabilize energy markets with the Russia-Ukraine War and help in diffusing the current Middle East crisis

  • On Tuesday, it announced it would send $750M of bombs to Saudi Arabia in the coming months

Dig Deeper

  • With one of the region’s largest populations, economies, militaries, and the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, Saudi is one of the region’s top powers

  • The US has been intensely trying to get Saudi to recognize Israel, something it hopes could pave the way for peace in the Middle East. Those efforts seemed to be bearing fruit until October 7

  • The US also relies on Saudi as a counterweight to Iran, its primary regional rival

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KEY STORY

US Sucks Big Air

A US startup announced that it had built the US’ largest facility to suck carbon directly out of the air

  • Carbon capture removes carbon from the atmosphere so it can then be stored or used. It could play a major role in counteracting climate change but is far from the scale needed to do so

  • Carbon Capture can either be done at the point of emission, i.e. at a steel plant or can be “direct air capture”(DAC). DAC is more expensive but can suck CO2 out of the atmosphere wherever a facility is established

  • On Tuesday, an Oklahoma startup backed by Sam Altman launched the US’ largest DAC facility

Dig Deeper

  • To the chagrin of environmentalists, though, the facility will not store the carbon but will use it to extract oil. The facility will also be powered with CO2-emitting natural gas

  • Still, Heimdal says its technology will be able to capture up to 5,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually

KEY STORY

Elon’s Trump Interview

Elon Musk’s two-hour livestream with Donald Trump on X drew in a record 26M+ total listeners

  • The discussion started more than 30 minutes late amid technical difficulties

  • Once the event began, Musk and Trump covered a wide variety of topics, including climate change, government spending, VP Harris’ track record, immigration, and nuclear warfare

  • The Harris campaign blasted the interview, calling the duo “self-obsessed rich guys.” Musk later said he’d be “happy to host” Harris for an interview. As of print, Harris is yet to respond to the offer

Dig Deeper

  • The interview came on the same day Trump returned to X, where his account had been dormant since 2021, besides a post of his mugshot. He’s since posted over a dozen times

  • The interview was the largest X Space of all time, far surpassing the ~4M listeners that tuned in to watch Musk interview Gov. Ron DeSantis as he announced his presidential run in 2023

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

Starbucks hired Chipotle’s CEO to replace its current CEO, who faced criticism after overseeing a sales decline. The new CEO will start on September 9. The news led Starbucks stock to rise a record 24.5% (and Chipotle’s to fall 7.5%)

🪨 Utah’s 190-million-year-old Double Arch, also known as the “Toilet Bowl,” collapsed due to erosion from harsh weather, waves, and changing water levels. The arch was a popular hiking spot in southern Utah’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

💣 The US approved $20B in arms sales to Israel, covering fighter jets, missiles, tank ammunition, and other arms. It will take years for all of the supplies to be delivered. The State Department said, “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives”

🛑 President Biden said he believes Iran will not attack Israel if Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Hamas. Despite Hamas backing out of negotiations with Israel, the US, Qatar, and Egypt continue to hold discussions to prevent an Iran-Israel conflict. Tensions remain high, with Hamas announcing that it had killed one Israeli hostage and wounded two others Monday

🇺🇦 Ukraine is attempting to hold the territory it seized in Russia. In the last week, Ukraine has mounted the largest invasion of Russia since World War 2, taking troops up to 30 kilometers into Russia, where they seized dozens of villages, captured hundreds of Russian soldiers, and forced 133,000+ people to evacuate. On Tuesday, Russia intensified its efforts to mount a counterattack and dislodge the invaders

COMMUNITY

🧐 Yesterday’s question: How do you feel about robot waiters?

Robot waiters are something out of a sci-fi novel. I am not quite sure I want a robot serving my meals, but it would be a lot safer, more efficient, and less likely to make mistakes. they would also be cleaner and have safer handling of food. I saw on Instagram the other day that robot waiters are a thing in China...seems like they have jumped centuries in the future.

Jonathan from Illinois

I won't even eat in a restaurant that uses a Kiosk for placing orders so I'm not going to be waited on by a robot. Dining out is supposed to be a luxurious and joyful experience (one can rarely afford these days) so being waited on by a metal interloper is not an option.

Anita from Ohio

I'm strongly opposed to robot waiters. Aside from privacy concerns (e.g. another opportunity for unauthorized data collection, etc.), and loss of jobs, they would remove yet another chance for human interaction in our increasingly digital world. I think it's essential to maintain human connections and interactions for the benefit of society as a whole, and this would erode a common social exchange experienced across socioeconomic lines.

Sarah from Virginia

🧠 Today’s question: How long before a flight do you arrive at the airport? Have a feeling that people will be passionate about this one…

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🥩 High-Steaks Decision: A viral art collective bought a calf named Angus and is pre-selling Angus’ meat, but there’s a twist. If 50% opt to save Angus, the funds will cover his living expenses

🐟 Fish out of borough: A leaky fire hydrant in a Brooklyn neighborhood has been turned into a makeshift goldfish pond (below) that locals have dubbed the “Bed-Stuy Goldfish Pond”

“Meet me at the Brooklyn fish pond.”

👻 Dodging ghosts: Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts has refused to stay with the team at Milwaukee’s allegedly haunted Pfister Hotel, booking a separate Airbnb instead

🥸 Smell like mayo: Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis and Hellmann’s launched a new specialty cologne on Tuesday called “Will Levis No. 8: Parfum de Mayonnaise”

🚗 Honk if you’re confused: Waymo self-driving cars have reportedly been honking at each other throughout the night in San Francisco, disturbing residents

ROCA WRAP

A Succulent Farewell

Australia lost the man behind one of its most iconic memes.

Between 1788 and 1868, the British government transported around 162,000 convicts to penal colonies in Australia, shaping the country’s population and development. 

Today, this convict past is a rich source of stories and legends, with Jack Karlson standing out – at least in the memes.

Karlson – a sporadic petty criminal and enigmatic figure – remains a subject of debate. It’s unconfirmed if Jack Karlson was even his real name or an alias.

He spent his childhood in and out of institutions and prison, allegedly escaping jail several times: His alleged methods include picking a lock while cuffed to a sleeping police officer, jumping off a moving train, swimming from a prison island, and impersonating a detective to walk out of court.

These stories remained relatively obscure until 2009. But that year, a clip of his 1991 arrest at a Chinese restaurant in Brisbane went viral, turning him into a cult figure and internet sensation.

Police officers had accused him of using a stolen credit card. While being arrested, he famously shouted, “What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?” inspiring countless memes and remixes.

His other memorable lines included, “I’m under what? Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!” and “Get your hand off my penis! This is the bloke who got me on the penis, people.”

Karlson always maintained that the 1991 incident was a case of mistaken identity, insisting that the police “thought I was some international gangster.”

The truth behind his claims may never be known, as last Wednesday, his family confirmed he passed away at 82 following a battle with prostate cancer. “He walked a full and colorful path, and despite the troubles thrown at him, he lived by his motto – to keep laughing,” they stated.

“A regular person who experienced his life would have passed away years ago,” said a filmmaker who is making a documentary on Karlson’s life.

Karlson’s life was one great escape, and now, he’s made his ultimate getaway.

ROCA VIDEO

Asking the Most Pro-Brexit Town If They Regret It

We traveled to Boston, UK. The city is known for being the most pro-Brexit city in the UK. During our trip, we talked with locals and asked them their thoughts on Boston and Brexit.

Some of the respondents are so quintessentially British, you’d think they’re paid actors.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

We once heard a terrible joke about Dora that we couldn’t include in the intro. It is, “What do Dora the Explorer and Jack the Ripper have in common?” “Same middle name.”

Off to Wisconsin today for another road trip. Stay tuned for the first installment of PA in We the 66 this week!

–Max and Max