OPEN THREAD: Hump Day.

THE NEW SPACE RACE: Blue Origin adding second pad to Cape Canaveral launch complex amid rocket explosion repairs: When life gives you lemons (exploding rocket), make lemonade (a second launch pad).

MICROBIOME NEWS: Parkinson’s Link to Gut Bacteria Hints at Unexpectedly Simple Treatment.

WELL, GOOD: FDA-Approved Drug Shows Promise for Reversing Osteoarthritis Damage.

PLAUSIBLE:

Almost…certainly true. https://t.co/JkGAcX05GF

— Wilfred Reilly (@wil_da_beast630) August 19, 2026

UPDATE (From Ed):

Liberal woman logic:

Deport an illegal → “How could you tear a family apart?!”

Mother murders her three kids → “Protect her! We love her! Raise $1 million for her legal defense!”

Three dead children.

The killer gets the sympathy.

I’m done coexisting with this. pic.twitter.com/8xrIclMZXb

— Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) August 19, 2026

HARVARD IS HAVING A BAD YEAR: Harvard to pay $53M in suit over selling donated corpses on black market.

MOST PEOPLE WILL DO BETTER, IF THEY LIVE MORE LIKE GYM BROS: Creatine Isn’t Just for Gym Bros: Why More Women Are Taking a Second Look.

I’M NOT SURPRISED: Ford Vs. Jeep Reliability: It’s Not Even Close.

I’M HAPPY I LIVE IN A FREE STATE: Looking for Advice on Buying an NFA Item? The NSSF Has Guidance For You.

I AM A MONKEYMAN, JUST ANOTHER MONKEY IN THIS MONKEYLAND: In 1926, a Russian biologist tried to create a human-chimpanzee hybrid.

Classical reference in headline.

K-12 IMPLOSION UPDATE:

SF high school where 94% flunk math has California's highest Berkeley acceptance rate https://t.co/j22ogn2rIK pic.twitter.com/354YkKV3RE

— New York Post (@nypost) August 18, 2026

LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY: Ex-British F1 engineers build a cheap 466-MPH kamikaze drone.

ANSWERING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Why does a narwhal’s tusk twist and what’s it made of?

JEFFREY CARTER on data centers.

CDR SALAMANDER: Defending Down Under from Darwin to Perth: You’re gonna need a bigger production line. “What is being done? Well, some nice problem appreciation and conferences.”

BURGERS AND FRIES, BEST THING FOR YOU: Scientists had men eat 5 burgers a week — what happened to their cholesterol was surprising. “Of 23 men who ate five burgers per week for five weeks, the researchers found that adding high-fat ground beef (around 25% fat) or low-fat ground beef (about 5% fat) didn’t harm blood vessels. The positive changes from the high-fat beef may even be linked to lower cholesterol.”

SECURITY: Department of War orders research security audits at 30 U.S. academic institutions.

MASSIVE RESISTANCE: DOJ says Duke Law used racial preferences after Supreme Court ruling.

LET’S HOPE, HE’S AWFUL: The Ossoff-Platner Similarities, and How They Could Sink the ‘Pee-Wee Herman’ Reelection Campaign.

WHEN THE K-12 IMPLOSION AND THE HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE OVERLAP: Shot: UC-Berkeley math prof says she has to teach fractions to calculus students because standards have fallen so far.

Chaser: SF high school where 94% flunk math has California’s highest Berkeley acceptance rate.

You can guess why.

TEACH WOMEN NOT TO RAPE! (CONT’D): Florida biology teacher’s ‘heinous sex acts’ against teen destroyed his faith in God: suit.

MAKE THEM PAY: Christian Mom Who Spoke Out Against Transgender Policies Blocked From Son’s Graduation: Lawsuit.

THE POPULATIONS OF OCCUPIED COUNTRIES ARE USUALLY SUBJECTED TO PROPAGANDA AIMED AT DIMINISHING NATIONAL PRIDE:

The BBC broadcasts children's programs claiming that Black people built Britain. The BBC loves to spread disinformation. pic.twitter.com/VPbJXZL4we

— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) August 19, 2026

NICK KRISTOF SHALL FOREVER BE KNOWN AS DOG RAPE MAN: ‘Dog Rape’ New York Times Columnist Delivers Another Dud as Harvard Prepares to Honor Him.

MATT TAIBBI: No, Jason Arday Wasn’t the Media’s Fault: Blaming a suicide on correct reporting unfortunately makes perfect sense in this reality-challenged era.