The US Open: more party than play?

Today’s topics

• Do US Open parties overshadow the tennis with their flex?

• Pepsi Amps Up Energy Drink Bet with Celsius

• Google Pixel 10: Familiar Design, Smarter Core

• SpaceX Achieves 100th Falcon 9 Launch of 2025

• Doctors Achieve Breakthrough with First Partial Heart Transplant

• The Most Influential Passport Globally

  and more…

Do US Open parties overshadow the tennis with their flex?

The US Open isn’t just about tennis swings—it’s about $38 sandwiches, crystal-adorned ping-pong, and exclusive penthouse courts for those who expect caviar with their tennis balls. At The Mark Hotel, $1,770 a night gets you a rooftop “mini” court, a $45 lip balm, and a breakfast credit that barely covers room service. The Fifth Avenue Hotel provides chauffeur-driven rides, Honey Deuce cocktails on arrival, and helicopter transfers for those who find LaGuardia too ordinary. The Lotte Palace offers Moët, pickleball seats, and a diamond tennis bracelet starting at $3,395 per night. Baccarat Hotel skips the games, serving truffle grilled cheese and lobster rolls beside a $225 crystal ping-pong table. For the less extravagant, The Lowell offers a $38 chicken sandwich and $27 cocktails.

SSENSE Stumbles into Bankruptcy

Canadian fashion retailer SSENSE has hit a rough patch, filing for bankruptcy protection after a fall from grace. The Montreal-based company pointed to Trump’s new tariffs on small U.S.-bound parcels, which wiped out its duty-free shipping advantage. Coupled with a lender eager to exit, SSENSE is now strapped for cash and fighting to stay afloat. The company claims it will continue paying staff and “operate normally,” meaning your high-priced sneakers should still arrive—though with an undercurrent of financial chaos. Once boasting a $4B valuation, SSENSE now serves as a stark reminder: even luxury e-commerce can’t escape the fallout of trade wars and dwindling funds.

Pepsi Amps Up Energy Drink Bet with Celsius

PepsiCo shelled out $585 million to increase its stake in Celsius Holdings to roughly 11%, handing Celsius control of its U.S. energy drink lineup, including Celsius, Alani Nu, and Rockstar Energy. Essentially, Pepsi’s tapping the experts who get what TikTok-savvy consumers crave. With the U.S. energy drink market hitting $25 billion and growing, Pepsi’s aiming to chip away at Red Bull and Monster’s dominance, while Coca-Cola holds tight to its 19% Monster stake. Celsius now drives Pepsi’s energy portfolio, with the duo claiming about 20% of the market. Celsius stock jumped 4% on the news and has more than doubled in 2025. Pepsi’s also chasing the “healthy-ish” trend, snapping up brands like Poppi sodas and anything packed with prebiotics or vitamins. Sugar water’s out; wellness-flavored drinks are in.

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Google Pixel 10: Familiar Design, Smarter Core

Google unveiled the Pixel 10 series, sporting a near-identical design to last year’s models but infused with advanced AI capabilities. The Gemini AI powers features like photo editing via text prompts, auto-responding texts, retrieving flight info during calls, and even voice translation in real-time. Priced between $800 and $1,200, the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL introduce Qi2 wireless charging with magnets, enabling compatibility with MagSafe accessories. The standout cameras now boast AI enhancements like Camera Coach and a 100x AI zoom that sharpens blurry shots into vivid “memories.” While Google acknowledges the Pixel won’t outpace Apple or Samsung in sales, the lineup is designed to showcase Android’s pinnacle, making the Pixel 10 its strongest case yet for ditching the iPhone.

Starship Stays Intact in Major Milestone

SpaceX scored a significant victory with its massive Starship rocket, marking a departure from its explosive past failures. The 400-foot rocket successfully launched, deployed eight dummy satellites, executed an in-orbit engine burn, and tested its reusable heat shield without disintegrating. Both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship itself achieved separate splashdowns, making this test the first to resemble a polished NASA mission rather than a pyrotechnic spectacle. NASA is elated, as Starship is slated to return astronauts to the Moon by 2027. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is aiming for Mars and a $400B valuation for SpaceX, content for now with avoiding a fiery spectacle in the Gulf of Mexico.

SpaceX Achieves 100th Falcon 9 Launch of 2025

On September 2, 2025, SpaceX marked a milestone with its 100th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year, deploying 24 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This launch, part of the Starlink 10-22 mission, was the 75th orbital launch from Florida’s Space Coast in 2025. The Falcon 9 booster, on its 23rd flight, successfully landed on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX plans to launch at least 170 Falcon 9 rockets this year, with most supporting its Starlink constellation, now serving over ７ million customers across 150 countries. The company’s rapid launch cadence underscores its dominance in the U.S. space industry.

NASA Prepares for Sun and Space Weather Missions

NASA is gearing up for the launch of two significant missions, the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, with a media teleconference scheduled for September 4, 2025, to discuss their objectives. These missions aim to study the Sun and enhance space weather forecasting, critical for protecting satellites and technology systems on Earth. The IMAP mission will investigate interstellar interactions, while the Carruthers Observatory will focus on Earth’s outer atmosphere. Both are set to advance our understanding of solar impacts, with launches targeted soon.

Doctors Achieve Breakthrough with First Partial Heart Transplant

Born with a severe heart defect, Owen Monroe faced a grim prognosis, with standard surgery offering little hope beyond a year. Duke University surgeons took a bold approach, performing a groundbreaking partial heart transplant by grafting donor heart tissue onto Owen’s own, creating a hybrid organ. The innovative procedure paid off, and Owen is now thriving as he starts preschool, defying the odds. With fewer than 50 such surgeries performed globally, early outcomes are promising, suggesting that using donor heart parts could become a viable solution for saving lives.

Human-Amplified Climate Change Fuels West Coast Megadrought

A recent study from the University at Albany, published on August 29, 2025, highlights the severe impact of human-driven climate change on the ongoing megadrought affecting the U.S. West Coast. The research, supported by NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter flight data, indicates that greenhouse gas emissions are locking the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) into a negative phase, prolonging dry conditions for potentially three more decades. This exacerbates water scarcity, influences weather patterns, and keeps the region drier, with significant implications for planning and resource management. The study emphasizes the need for sharper climate tools, like advanced satellite data, to enhance forecasting and mitigation efforts.

Community-Driven Conservation Efforts Show Promise

On August 29, 2025, Environment America reported positive environmental developments, including a proposed threatened status for the Southern hognosed snake, impacted by road development, signaling a need for conservation action. Additionally, new research from shoreline cleanups demonstrates that community efforts are reducing plastic litter prevalence. In Texas, Governor Abbott signed a bill to streamline regulations for rooftop solar, boosting clean energy adoption. Meanwhile, a historic land purchase in Georgia aims to protect the state’s “wild heart,” though further protections are needed. These storieslisten to main story initiatives highlight the power of community-driven conservation in addressing environmental challenges.

Ohio State Reclaims No. 1 Spot in College Football Rankings

After a dramatic Week 1 of college football, Ohio State has surged to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 and US LBM Coaches Poll, capitalizing on upsets that shook up the rankings. The Buckeyes’ rise comes as Alabama plummeted to its lowest ranking in 17 years following a loss, while LSU and Miami climbed into the top five. Florida State, despite a win over Alabama, faced challenges with a $50,000 fine from the ACC for fans storming the field and a serious injury to freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard, who was shot and remains in critical but stable condition. This shakeup sets the stage for an intense college football season as teams like Texas, led by quarterback Arch Manning, navigate early pressure after a loss to Ohio State.

New Milestone: 29 Minutes Underwater Without Air

Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić has smashed the breath-holding world record with a staggering 29 minutes and 3 seconds underwater — nearly five minutes longer than the previous mark, and about 28 minutes longer than most of us could manage on a rough morning. The feat was “oxygen-assisted,” with Maričić inhaling pure O₂ for ten minutes before slipping into a hotel pool. He described the first 20 minutes as a mental game, followed by a physical battle as his diaphragm fought back. The record puts humans ahead of dolphins and close to seals, though whales still reign supreme — Cuvier’s beaked whales can dive for three hours. Maričić says he took on the challenge to spotlight ocean conservation. Turns out, holding your breath can still make a statement.

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