Good morning. It's Tuesday, Aug. 12, and we're covering National Guard deployment in the nation’s capital, an unprecedented chip exports deal, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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President Donald Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, DC, yesterday, activating 800 DC National Guard members over concerns of violent crime. He also invoked the 1973 Home Rule Act to take control of the city’s police department for a maximum of 30 days. Over 100 FBI agents will be temporarily reassigned to nighttime patrol duties.
Federal data found crime in the district is at a 30-year low. Trump has cast doubt on the findings, pointing to a police commander who was recently suspended for allegedly falsifying crime data. He also highlighted recent violent incidents in DC, including a former DOGE employee who was attacked in a carjacking and an intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R, KS-4) killed last month.
Attorney General Pam Bondi will oversee federal control of DC’s police, with DEA Administrator Terry Cole serving as interim federal commissioner. Trump hopes the federal takeover will model crime reduction tactics for other cities. See the US' deadliest cities here. |
Explosions at a US Steel plant near Pittsburgh yesterday left at least two people dead and 10 injured. The cause of the explosions is under investigation as of this writing.
The blast (see video; warning—sensitive content) occurred after a fire broke out at the US Steel Clairton Coke Works site in Clairton, Pennsylvania, roughly 20 miles south of Pittsburgh. The facility is the largest in North America for producing coke, a carbon-rich, porous material for steelmaking. In the process, coal is heated to as high as 1,125 degrees Fahrenheit without oxygen, which removes impurities and yields coke through a sequence of softening, liquefying, and resolidifying. The facility produces more than 4 million tons of coke annually (see process).
Residents within 1 mile of the plant were advised to stay indoors and set home cooling units to recirculation out of caution; air quality monitors have not detected toxin levels above federal standards. |
Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices will pay the US government 15% of revenues from AI chips sold to China in exchange for export licenses—an arrangement legal experts say may violate the Constitution’s ban on taxing exports. (Read the clause here.)
The deal, confirmed yesterday and expected to generate more than $2B in federal funds, comes amid concerns that access to American chips could help Beijing leapfrog the US in AI development. The Commerce Department began issuing licenses for Nvidia’s H20 Friday and AMD’s MI308 over the weekend, following last month's export ban reversal. Only these less advanced chips, which were developed in response to Biden-era export controls, are approved for sale under the agreement. They can't train new large language models quickly, but can power pretrained models. Learn how AI chips work here.
Separately, last week, Trump announced companies would face 100% tariffs on AI chips and other semiconductors made abroad unless they invest in US manufacturing. |
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In partnership with Med-X |
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Setting the Stage for ‘MXRX’ Nasdaq Plans |
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A decade ago, few would have believed that natural pesticides could outperform chemicals. But third-party studies of Med-X’s natural products are proving them wrong in some cases. Preliminary testing shows their products could be the solution to combat the global mosquito crisis. Now, they are focused on becoming the first botanical pesticide recognized by the World Health Organization. Their progress is also clearing the way for a possible Nasdaq listing (ticker: MXRX)—but the real opportunity to invest is now, before they hit the big stage.
Med-X’s global success so far is driving $6.4M in sales over the last 4 years in a projected $17B industry. The global demand for their products has opened the door for expansion into 41 new international markets.
With global regulations trending in a natural direction, there might come a day when governments are required to adopt Med-X. Become an early Med-X shareholder before their planned Nasdaq listing.*
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This Could Be the End of Chemical Pesticides |
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