Pokémon's 30th Celebration card set launch sparked widespread chaos at retail stores across the US, with incidents including fights, arrests, and disruptive crowd behavior as scalpers and collectors competed for limited stock. Retailers implemented various crowd control measures with mixed results, while some overnight lines remained peaceful.
Discord is launching an automatic age verification system that uses account signals like account age and server membership to categorize users into adult (18+) or teen (13-17) groups, with over 90% of users requiring no action. The system aims to comply with expanding age assurance laws in regions like Texas and Brazil while preserving privacy by avoiding ID verification or biometric data for most users. Teens will receive additional content protections while adults experience no changes.
Coverage Cat is a licensed insurance brokerage that uses AI and human brokers to help customers compare home, umbrella, auto, and renters insurance with transparent pricing across carriers. The YC S22 startup operates in five states and offers both consumer-facing tools and an Agent API for developers.
Loudoun County data centers generated $1.2 billion in property tax revenue in fiscal 2026, representing 39% of the county budget. IREN is converting offline GPU capacity into operational revenue with Horizon 2 nearing completion for Microsoft, while Texas Governor Abbott froze new data center permits pending an ERCOT audit, benefiting companies with existing approved capacity.
Eli Lilly is investing $6.5 billion to build a major pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Houston, expected to produce pill-form GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and other small-molecule medicines. The 236-acre facility will create approximately 600 permanent jobs and 4,000 construction positions, while the company is also funding $15 million in workforce development at San Jacinto College. Construction begins now with completion targeted for November 2027.
Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods from politically pivotal states like Texas after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Canadian products, but polling at a Republican convention in Dallas showed American voters remain largely unfamiliar with the trade dispute and unlikely to change their support for Trump over the issue.
A Facebook group called Mayday Mysteries has grown significantly in membership. The group recently acquired a PO box managed by Robert Bannon in Spring, Texas, and is referenced in relation to Arizona and Phoenix Magazine content.
Independent author Tamra Westberry discovered AI-generated books falsely attributed to her on Amazon, featuring her character names and cover designs. The phenomenon of parasitic AI-generated works appearing under established authors' names is widespread across Amazon and other platforms, with authors having little recourse as AI models trained on pirated books are used to mass-produce content that exploits existing fan bases.
Garbage trucks equipped with AI cameras from City Detect are analyzing homes in at least four U.S. states to detect code violations like overgrown lawns and graffiti, assigning properties a "Blight Score" that can lead to fines. The technology has flagged over 21,000 properties in Dallas since April, but critics worry it will disproportionately impact lower-income neighborhoods with fewer resources for yard maintenance.
Ben Lamm, founder of de-extinction biotech firm Colossal Biosciences, debuted on the 2026 Forbes 400 at No. 302 with a $5.7 billion fortune, becoming one of 34 newcomers. Texas dominates the list with billionaires like Elon Musk ($908 billion) and Michael Dell ($263 billion), while the entry threshold surged to a record $4.4 billion, excluding nearly 600 American billionaires from the ranking.
The national average gasoline price climbed to $4.43 per gallon, up 16 cents weekly and over $1 from a year ago, as crude oil remains elevated around $100 per barrel amid Strait of Hormuz volatility. Gasoline demand and domestic supply both increased, while prices approach the 2026 high of $4.56 set in May. Regional variation is significant, with California's average at $6.08 versus Indiana's $3.92.
An essay explores America's self-storage industry as a cultural pillar, tracing its growth from 1970s mom-and-pop operations to a $40+ billion institutional asset class. The U.S. dominates global capacity, with facilities driven by life events like death, divorce, and downsizing, serving Americans' struggle with accumulating possessions.
Raven's personal blog featuring journal entries and biographical details. The site includes posts on technical topics like type declaration syntax and Go bootstrapping, along with whimsical personal information and website facts.
SpaceX announced a September 22 launch date for Starship's first orbital flight from South Texas, targeting a 75-minute window starting at 8:15 a.m. EDT. The mission will deploy 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites and mark a major milestone after 13 previous suborbital flights, with Ship expected to complete six Earth orbits before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
Two San Antonio H-E-B family members, Charles Butt and Eleanor Butt Crook, rank among America's richest billionaires in Forbes' 2026 list, with Charles at 137th nationally ($11.3 billion) and Eleanor at 367th ($4.7 billion). The collective wealth of America's richest billionaires reached $8 trillion, up $1.4 trillion from last year, with a record $4.4 billion minimum needed to make the Forbes 400.
A survey of 3,424 US adults shows 53% are extremely or very concerned about artificial intelligence's environmental impact, up from 41% last year. Americans worry more about AI's ecological footprint than meat production or aviation, with particular anxiety about data centres' effects on local water supplies and electricity prices. Despite bipartisan concerns, thousands of data centres are operating across the US with more under construction.
Intercon Chemical Co. recalled six hand soap brands distributed across 15 U.S. states due to potential contamination with unspecified bacteria or antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas and Serratia species. The affected products, sold under Laura Lynn, Summit, Vestis, and Intercon brands, may cause serious infections including blood infections, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections if used.
Multiple US states and hundreds of local jurisdictions have enacted datacenter moratoriums amid concerns over electricity, water, and land use. However, analysis shows these restrictions affect only ~2.3 GW of the projected 38 GW datacenter capacity delivery in 2027, with most projects proceeding through alternative permitting paths or behind-the-meter power solutions.
Republicans in Congress are advancing legislation to shield fossil fuel companies from climate-related lawsuits, claiming scientific links between emissions and disasters lack credibility. Rep. Hageman and Sen. Cruz have introduced companion bills that would grant broad immunity to the energy industry, part of broader efforts by fossil fuel allies to remove environmental regulations.