In Other Brews…
With three weeks until Election Day, polls say Trump & Harris are neck-and-neck. This weekend, former President Trump drew thousands to a rally in deep-blue Coachella, CA; he criticized the state’s Democratic leadership and immigration policies. Meanwhile, VP Harris visited swing-state North Carolina; she assisted with hurricane relief and pressed Trump to release his medical records, questioning his fitness for office.
Teslavestors were unimpressed by last week’s robotaxi reveal, which was heavy on vision but light on details. While Tesla stock fell 9%, TikTok was impressed by the event’s sideshow, Tesla’s humanoid robots named “Optimus.” Elon Musk claimed the robots, which wore cowboy hats and mingled with event-goers, would eventually cost $20k-$30k and be able to mow lawns and babysit kids.
A tour of the 130-year-old Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, CO, turned tragic last week. A lift carrying tourists 1,000 feet underground experienced a mechanical issue halfway down the mine shaft. The incident killed one person, injured four, and left 19 trapped (including 12 in the mine for six hours). The attraction is closed as authorities investigate.
The WNBA is leaning into the hype. Responding to growing viewership, the Women’s National Basketball Association announced that it’s expanding the 2025 regular season from 40 to 44 games, the finals from best-of-five to best-of-seven, and the league to 13 teams with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries. Toronto and Portland (mascots TBA) will also get teams in 2026.
Starships were meant to… land? SpaceX is extra-celebrating the fifth launch of its Starship rocket after the arms of the launch tower successfully caught the rocket’s 21-story tall “Super Heavy” booster (watch), a major milestone towards SpaceX’s goal of making the Starship fully reusable. SpaceX intends to do hundreds more unmanned missions with Starship before adding a crew.