Good morning. It's Tuesday, July 23, and we're covering the US Secret Service director's congressional testimony, an unexpected deep-ocean discovery, and much more. First time reading? Join over 3.5 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here. |
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US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified yesterday before the House Oversight Committee regarding the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally. Director since September 2022, Cheatle admitted the incident was the agency’s worst operational failure in decades and took full responsibility while declining to answer several questions.
Cheatle faced queries about how the shooter accessed the rooftop with a clear shot at Trump, acknowledging the agency has denied Trump additional security over the past two years. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D, IL-8) noted video footage showed the agency was aware of the threat about 20 minutes before the shooting, and Cheatle admitted uncertainty about when the shooter placed the rifle on the roof.
Investigators have not determined a motive but note the shooter visited the site twice and flew a drone over the area on the day of the shooting. Cheatle said she will not resign despite calls for her to step down from a bipartisan group of lawmakers. |
Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her campaign yesterday and began securing support from key Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in her bid to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination. At least 2,500 delegates—of almost 4,700 total—plan to back Harris as the nominee at next month's Democratic National Convention in Chicago, according to an AP poll. The endorsements are enough for Harris to win the nomination (see poll).
The latest news comes after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race amid concerns over his age and viability as a candidate following his recent debate with former President Donald Trump. Harris' campaign has raised over $81M since Sunday, breaking the record for the largest total sum raised over a 24-hour period from either party during this year's election. The figure is also believed to be the largest single-day total in US history. Of those who contributed, over 888,000 are grassroots donors—60% of whom contributed for the first time in the 2024 cycle.
Harris' possible picks for vice president are also beginning to emerge. See a potential shortlist here. |
Oxygen is being released at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, a new study revealed yesterday. The discovery has baffled scientists, challenging the long-held belief that only living things can produce oxygen through photosynthesis.
In 2013, researchers were studying the seafloor between Hawaii and Mexico, 2.5 miles below the surface. Upon sequestering a seafloor sample, researchers discovered oxygen concentrations were increasing without access to sunlight. The findings—repeated in later expeditions—have yet to be fully explained. A leading hypothesis posits rocks containing valuable metals like nickel and cobalt are splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen through seawater electrolysis. Elevated voltage in the samples (approaching that of an AA battery) supports the theory, though researchers have not identified a hydrogen byproduct.
The discovery challenges the theory that life originated through ancient microbes conducting photosynthesis. It also raises concerns deep-sea mining (see more, w/video) could disturb ecosystems relying on these rocks for oxygen. |
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In partnership with EnergyX |
Supercharging The Lithium Supply Chain |
Each EV battery needs ~70 kg of lithium—10,000x the amount of a smartphone. With over 1.2 billion EVs needing to be on the road by 2050, current lithium production can’t keep up with that demand.
When EnergyX revealed that their technology could extract up to 300% more lithium than traditional methods, investors everywhere took note. The company has raised $100M+ of investments from General Motors and others, and they just announced Project Lonestar, a US lithium plant supported by a $5M Department of Energy grant.
EnergyX is offering a unique opportunity to join some of the Fortune 500’s biggest companies—like GM—and invest on the ground floor as they’re set to unlock a massive lithium supply. For a limited time, EnergyX invites you to join them as a shareholder.* |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
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> LeBron James tapped to be Team USA's male flag bearer at Paris Olympics opening ceremony Friday (1:30 pm ET, NBC); the female flag bearer is due to be announced today (More) |
> The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 5-15) full lineup revealed, will include 25 world premieres (More) |
> Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and last surviving member of the original Four Tops, dies at age 88 (More) | Esta TerBlanche, South African actress and "All My Children" star, dies at age 51 (More) |
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In partnership with The Ascent |
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> Researchers use astronomical imaging technique to detect deepfakes, which include human faces; approach analyzes the reflection of light from a person's eyes (More) |
> Brain imaging approach detects the presence of conscious and intentional thoughts in otherwise comatose patients; may be used to diagnose locked-in syndrome, where patients are unable to physically communicate (More) |
> El Niño-like weather pattern discovered in the South Pacific; study suggests small regional phenomenon affects annual climate variations across the entire Southern Hemisphere (More) | How El Niño works (More) |
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> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.1%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq +1.6%); S&P 500 notches best single-day increase since June 5 (More) |
> Tesla delays rollout of humanoid robots, will begin using internally next year and aims to produce them for external use in 2026; latest update comes roughly two years after Tesla debuted a prototype of its humanoid robot Optimus in 2022 (More) |
> Boeing to sell up to 50 planes to Korean Air, including 20 777Xs; the 777X model is Boeing's largest commercial aircraft and has yet to be certified for flying (More) | Delta Air Lines cancels over 700 flights for fourth day after CrowdStrike outage (More) |
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> At least 70 people killed in Gaza after the Israeli military struck areas in and around the southern city of Khan Younis after ordering residents to evacuate (More) | Israeli military confirms deaths of two more hostages, says 44 of the 116 remaining hostages in Hamas' captivity are believed to be dead (More) |
> Russia sentences Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to more than six years in prison for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian army (More) | Ukraine reaches preliminary deal to restructure $20B of international debt, enabling the country to save $11B over the next three years (More) |
> At least six killed and six others wounded after shooter opens fire at nursing home in Croatian town, with one of the victims being the shooter's mother; shooter is in custody (More) |
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> How Two Cows Started a Culture War
NYT | Christopher Maag. When two cows wandered to a neighbor's animal sanctuary, a fierce standoff ensued. Years later, the town of Newfane, in western New York, has yet to recover. (Read)
> The Origin of LSD
PBS | Staff. Tracing the history of LSD—from its origins as an ergot fungus to its synthesis in a lab in the 1930s to its potential applications for depression, addiction, and more. (Watch) |
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In partnership with EnergyX |
How GM Is Securing Its Lithium Supply |
The world will need to produce 3.8 million tons of lithium per year by 2035 to meet the demand for EVs. GM is turning to one startup to unlock US-based lithium supply: EnergyX. EnergyX’s technology can extract up to 300% more lithium than traditional methods.
GM led a $50 million funding round in EnergyX last year. Now, they’ve opened the opportunity to join them to all investors. For a limited time, EnergyX invites you to join them as a shareholder.* |
Please support our sponsors! |
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