US Nuclear Reactor, Paul Reubens, and July's Best Stories

Nuclear Reactor Goes Live

Georgia Power Co. yesterday announced the commercial operation of the first new nuclear reactor built in the US in more than 30 years, powering utilities in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

The reactor, known as Unit 3, is one of two that began construction in 2009 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta, and can power 500,000 homes and businesses at full capacity. The reactor was initially expected to start generating power in 2016; however, the project faced delays and unexpected costs, which increased from $14B to $35B. The plant already has two reactors that have been operating since 1987 and 1989. Once all four units are operational—Unit 4 is expected early next year—the site will become the nation's largest generator of clean energy. Units 3 and 4 are expected to produce about 2,234 megawatts combined, enough to power more than 1 million homes and businesses. 

Nuclear energy currently accounts for about 18% of US power generation, and more US states are looking to the power source for clean energy. Experts say the US would need 200 gigawatts of advanced nuclear energy to power about 160 million homes. 

Actor Paul Reubens Dies

Paul Reubens, the actor behind the Daytime Emmy-winning 1980s children's show "Pee-wee's Playhouse," died Sunday in Los Angeles at age 70. A posthumous statement yesterday from the actor revealed a six-year struggle with cancer for the first time. 

Born Paul Rubenfeld in Peekskill, New York, Reubens rose to fame via the whimsical, bowtie-clad Pee-wee Herman role he developed as a member of an improv group (see bio). Following the success of 1985's Tim Burton-directed film, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," Reubens became a mainstay in children's TV for half a decade via CBS' Saturday morning "Pee-wee’s Playhouse." The actor's reputation was tainted after pleading no contest to an indecent exposure charge at an adult movie theater in Florida in 1991, followed by a guilty plea to an obscenity charge in 2002.

Over an acting career spanning five decades, Reubens had supporting roles in major TV shows like "Blacklist" as well as feature films including "Batman Returns" and "Blow" alongside Johnny Depp. See his life in photos here. 

Euclid's First Images

The first test images of stars and galaxies taken by the European Space Agency's Euclid Space Telescope were released yesterday. The milestone comes about a month after Euclid launched, reaching its final orbit roughly 1 million miles away from Earth, or four times as far from Earth as the moon. See the images here.

Euclid is on a quest to survey more than 1 billion galaxies—each with roughly 100 billion stars—as it investigates the nature of dark energy and dark matter, which constitute 95% of the universe but remain poorly understood. The term “dark” refers to the properties known about each—dark matter exerts a gravitational pull on objects but doesn’t interact with light, while dark energy remains hypothetical and is needed to account for the expansion of the universe. 

The test images were taken to verify and review the operation of the instruments on the Euclid spacecraft. The images are largely unprocessed, meaning they contain unwanted distortions, such as cosmic rays that streak across the captured visual. More detailed and sharper images are expected in October.

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In-Depth

> The Mail-In Psychic

The Walrus | Rachel Browne. How a copywriter convinced over a million people in the US and Canada to mail money in exchange for psychic services, and how it became one of the biggest mail-order scams in North American history. (Read)

> 'Kids These Days'

Insider | Kelli María Korducki. A dive into intergenerational feuds between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers, highlighting how these generational conflicts can hinder understanding and cooperation among the different age groups. (Read)

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Editor's note: More than 9 million monthly clicks can't be wrong. Here are the most popular stories we ran in July. Enjoy!

(7/25/23) The eight habits that could add up to 24 years to your life. 

(7/13/23) A third of US couples have opted for a “sleep divorce.” 

(7/12/23) The 100 best books of all time. 

(7/31/23) The risks of mouth-breathing during sleep—and how to stop.

(7/13/23) Meet Maddie, the 2023 Gerber Baby.

(7/25/23) The US states with the best (and worst) school systems. 

(7/18/23) Florida suburb hit by rabbit invasion.

(7/17/23) The year's funniest pet photos. 

(7/24/23) Actor Keanu Reeves attends a random wedding.

(7/6/23) A stunning shot of an aurora over an Icelandic waterfall. 

(7/26/23) Where high earners are moving to in the US. 

(7/20/23) Why you should avoid the term “Ozempic face.” 

(7/26/23) The most iconic diners in every US state. 

Clickbait: Please be careful with fireworks, unlike this family. 

Historybook: "Moby-Dick" author Herman Melville born (1819); American frontierswoman Calamity Jane dies (1903); Sniper kills 14, wounds 31 at University of Texas (1966); MTV launches with "Video Killed the Radio Star" as first video (1981).