Today’s Big Story

Trump Takes the Stage

His speech wrapped a fresh gesture toward unity around his usual dark view of American decline

The former president accepted the GOP presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention Thursday night with a speech that began and ultimately ended with what’s been called “perfunctory calls for national unity.” But the indisputable theme of the night was Trump himself—his recent brush with death, his family, his legal battles and his dark, aggressive vision for a second term in the White House.

For five days we were told that the attempted assassination of Donald Trump had transformed him, maybe even made him “spiritual,” and very much inclined to replace the savage tone of his campaign with an appeal to “national unity.” And while his speech began on a personal tone, it soon returned to the typical MAGA talking points and, as many fact-checks have found, misleading or false statements.

Trump started off softer and somewhat thoughtful, as he discussed in detail the shooting in Pennsylvania—saying that it‘s the only time he’ll talk about it, “because it's too painful to tell.” He called for healing. “The discord and division in our society must be healed—we must heal it quickly,” he said, striking a hopeful tone. But after his pledge “to be president for all of America, not half of America,” he returned to the indictment of the Biden administration that he has angrily made so many times, and that the convention he controlled had reinforced over the past few days.

Trump also used the banner of unity to return to form in assailing the criminal cases against him, saying the prosecutors should drop the charges and Democrats should stop calling him a threat to democracy. Within a half-hour, the Washington Post reports, his speech started resembling a typical rally, with ad-libbed shout-outs to VIPs and railing against subpoenas and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Intelligencer says that “he asserted that if Democrats wanted any sort of unity, they had to drop all the legal actions against him, essentially consummating the immunity the Supreme Court partially gave him.”

In terms of policy, he focused primarily on foreign policy, the economy and immigration. Less than four years removed from office, he said America was already a “nation in decline.” According to the Wall Street Journal, signs in the convention hall read, “mass deportation now!” He has also called for more domestic energy production, stiffer tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, soon-to-expire tax cuts from his 2017 tax bill being made permanent, and a lowered corporate tax rate of 15% from 21%.

America Inches Closer to Nationwide Legal Weed

When Congress allowed hemp production in 2018, they opened the door to legal THC in all 50 states

We’re currently in a slightly messy stage of selective legality when it comes to marijuana. Although recreational marijuana use is allowed in only 24 states and Washington, D.C., people anywhere in the U.S. can get intoxicated on hemp-derived THC without breaking federal law. This is thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp production. What they didn’t realize, according to The Atlantic, was that “with some chemistry and creativity, hemp can get you just as high as the dankest marijuana plant.”

Hemp-based intoxicants aren’t limited to delta-8 THC. The Farm Bill also appears to authorize the creation of hemp-based delta-9 THC products as long as the total delta-9 content is 0.3 percent or less of the product’s dry weight. This turns out to be easy to do. And why not? Around nearly 90% of Americans now say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use, according to a January 2024 Pew Research Center survey.

This could be because more than half of U.S. adults (50.3%) say they have used marijuana in the past. That is big number, but still smaller share than the 84.1% who say they have ever consumed alcohol and the 64.8% who have ever used tobacco products or vaped nicotine. Meanwhile, more states are putting recreational marijuana on the ballot. Florida is the latest to put it up to a vote and polls point to an easy passage.

Gas-Powered Cars Aren’t Going Anywhere

At least, not anytime soon …

Those gas-guzzling vehicles certainly aren't going down without a fight. As both sides of the presidential campaigns engage in a political debate over electric vehicles, the two biggest American automakers are going big on old-school trucks.

Ford said Thursday that it will invest $3 billion to ramp up production of heavy-duty F-series pickups—including at a Canadian plant that was previously poised for a transformation into an EV powerhouse. Meanwhile, Axios reports that General Motors revealed the 2025 Cadillac Escalade, a whopping luxury SUV that will include the option of a big, bad 8-cylinder, 682-horsepower engine.

The electric vehicle craze has slowed a bit in 2024 amid lingering concerns about prices and charging availability. According to the latest data, EV sales represented 8% of U.S. vehicle sales in the second quarter, a new high but up only 0.8 points from a year earlier. Currently, gas- and diesel-powered trucks and SUVs are footing the bill for the development of EVs. Ford CEO Jim Farley has become a more vocal proponent of hybrids as a stepping stone to EVs after years of auto executives pledging a swift transition to EVs. He recently told CNBC that “big, huge, enormous EVs” ... are “never going to make money. The battery is $50,000 … the batteries will never be affordable.”

A Long-Awaited Game Finally Drops

‘EA Sports College Football 25’ is maybe the most anticipated sports video game in history

It’s been on the sidelines far too long. EA Sports “College Football 25,” out today, is being dubbed the most highly anticipated sports video game of all time. You might remember, during the early aughts, it was ranked among the most popular games ever sold. But when new versions were discontinued in 2013 amid a nasty gridlock of legal battles, fans were devastated.

But now it’s finally back. “To say we’ve been blown away by the excitement, energy and anticipation around ‘College Football 25’ over the past few months would be an understatement,” EA Sports said in a blog post this week. And EA Sports says they’ve even increased its server capacity during early access to handle the crush.

Whether you’re a die-hard Georgia Bulldogs fan looking to win a national championship, a grinder working their way through Dynasty Mode as a MAC coach or even Patrick Mahomes, "College Football 25" is essentially Christmas in July for gamers and sports fans alike. And if you’re wondering what teams do well, The Athletic ran over two dozen simulations and it looks like the University of Oregon is the team to beat.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Cobra Kai’ + a Sparkling Sake

The last season for The Karate Kid sequel series is split up into three parts with part one kicking off today on Netflix. Ralph Macchio and William Zabka return as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence respectively as they train their karate students for the world championships.

The catch is that only six of the Miyagi-Do fighters can make it to the world competition in Barcelona. Meanwhile, Kreese (played by Martin Kove) and Kim Da-Eun (played by Alicia Hannah-Kim) are also set to head to the Sekai Taikai, with their own vicious fighters from their Japanese team, the Kreese’s new generation of Cobra Kai competitors. The show has certainly come a long way since it first premiered as a scripted YouTube original back in 2018.

Take some time to rest this weekend.