...
💸 Stargate will change everything: Yesterday’s announcement by President Trump, along with the biggest tech CEOs, is the most consequential technical project of the century. Stargate is bigger than anything. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son declared a half-trillion-dollar investment in AI. In medicine, Stargate promises cures and the ability to stop most diseases from happening. We cannot fathom all this means except that our country will be an AI leader. Stargate will create an immediate 100,000 jobs.
Let’s talk AI-bot it: The CIA’s new AI chatbot takes on the personalities and views of foreign presidents and prime ministers so agents can better prepare. This upgrade is part of the intelligence agency’s plan to woo tech partners and create a more Silicon Valley-like work culture.
No, you didn’t miss jury duty: This scam is spreading across the U.S. It starts with a call or email from a “court official” saying you’ve gotta pay up via wire transfer or gift card to avoid fines or arrest since you were a no-show. Delete the email or hang up the phone. Then, if you’re still concerned, call your county’s courthouse. Heads-up: Real government websites end in .gov.
👀 The IRS is watching: If you sold over $5,000 on sites like eBay, Etsy or StubHub last year, keep an eye out for a 1099-K form in the mail (paywall link). The reporting threshold used to be $20,000. Now, you need to report side hustle earnings over $5,000, even if you don’t get a form from a specific site.
Space heaters recalled: Nearly 8,000 Vornado VH2 Whole Room Heaters sold on Amazon are being recalled. The power cord could detach, leading to electric shocks and fires. Check your heater for the date codes “JUL24” or “AUG24,” along with “TYPE VH2” on the silver label. Hit this link for help.
Adult diaper influencer: You read that right. It’s 27-year-old YouTuber Bumble Pree, who has trouble controlling her bladder as a result of multiple sclerosis. Her two diaper companies, InControl and Rearz, make options with trendy designs like kawaii-style cats and unicorns. Their ads feature cute gals in crop tops. The adult diaper biz is set to hit $24 billion by 2030. Hooray, I wrote all that without making a poop joke!
🛑 Stop letting Big Tech decide what you see: StartMail is my pick for privacy-first email. It’s super easy to switch over your contacts and mail, or you can treat it as a fresh inbox for only your VIPs. Save 60% now with my special link.*
🌠The sky is falling: On Prince Edward Island in Canada, Laura Kelly’s doorbell cam caught the exact moment a meteorite fell. In a big first, the cam also caught the sound it made on impact. This happened last July, but scientists just released their findings. Huh … sounds different than I expected.