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 [Alligator Alcatraz, is Closing] CBS News Miami reports that financial analyses by its journalists indicate that operating the detention camp in the Everglades and Baker County cost as much as $3,571 per detainee each day, more than 20 times the national average. Critics have decried these massive, no-bid contracts, which drew more than $1 billion in taxpayer dollars away from essential state health, food security, and housing programs.
A recent Miami Herald investigation estimates that while misusing more than $1 billion on the detention camps, Gov. Ron DeSantis guided taxpayers’ dollars to between 55 and 83 companies owned or operated by political allies, friends, and donors. |
| SpaceX spent $15.8 billion building AI infrastructure in the last quarter, helping expand its AI compute capacity to 1.4 gigawatts — more than triple where it was last year. |
 [Peculiar Pets] From a beer-drinking elk to the Pope’s elephant. Move aside, cats and dogs. Link |
| Fewer customers visited McDonald’s U.S. restaurants in the second quarter compared with those same locations a year ago. McDonald’s blamed several factors, including a popular Minecraft campaign last year that set a high bar for comparisons and a World Cup campaign this year that failed to deliver. But it also blamed “inconsistent restaurant level execution” of one of its key value menus. |
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| In the movies they always have emergency victims with a blanket draped over their shoulders. I wonder why. |
 Sunscreen myths too many people still get wrong. How ‘E. coli’ might be the next big thing in sun protection. Link |
| Papa John‘s shares plummeted today after the chain reported an 8.3% decline in sales at its North American restaurants. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen recorded a 5.2% drop in U.S. comparable sales. Six Flags Entertainment reported a 4% drop in same-park attendance at its amusement parks. While consumer spending has been strong overall in recent months, elevated gas prices — which are fueling rock-bottom consumer sentiment — are putting pressure on household budgets. |
 [Ford EV] Ford says the first model produced on its new low-cost electric vehicle platform will be a pickup called Fathom and have a starting price of $28,350. |
| [People Drinking Less Alcohol] Diageo whose alcoholic drinks include Johnnie Walker scotch whisky, Smirnoff vodka and Captain Morgan rum — announced a $1 billion cost-cutting plan. The company has been struggling with declining liquor sales. |
 Rare Rockabilly Tracks. Audio |
| [Friday Joke] I was leaving the office the other day when I found our CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand. “Listen”, he said, “this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary has gone for the night. Can you make this thing work for me?” Sure, I said. I turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button. “Excellent!” He said, as his paper disappeared into the machine. “I just need one copy.” |
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| History of Miami millionaires: See who they were and where they lived. Link |
 Jamaica unveils latest weapon guaranteed to stop all war! |
| He dressed Freddie Mercury as a prawn, got Paul Weller to wear lipstick, put a camera in Robert Smith’s mouth and created a 75ft penis for Hall & Oates. Pope looks back on is wild adventures with titans of music. As video director to the stars in the golden age of MTV, Tim Pope’s trademark was putting his very famous clients in uncomfortable or dangerous situations. Link |
 Computer Club meeting Saturday, August 8, 10:30 a.m. at the Community Center, Winn Dixie Plaza, BPK. We’ve been having interesting, informative conversations lately. Come & join in. Bring your device and password if you are having problems |
| New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567m over harms to children’s mental health. Ruling comes as part of second phase of landmark trial that found social media company enabled harm against users. Link |
 Cancer-fighting chewing gum cuts HPV levels by up to 93%. Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a surprisingly powerful new way to fight microbes linked to head and neck cancer. A specially engineered chewing gum reduced HPV by up to 93% and nearly eliminated two bacteria linked to head and neck cancer. The treatment preserved beneficial mouth bacteria, raising hopes for a safer and more affordable therapy. Link |
| Why Estonians invite strangers into their back gardens each summer. Each summer, home gardens, garages and even bedroom windows across Estonia become temporary cafes open to anyone. Link |
 I stopped trusting USB-C cable labels and started testing them with a $15 meter instead. Link |
| [How Do Atomic Clocks Work] Now you may be wondering, what provides the steady tick in an atomic clock — and what does any of this talk about resonance and energy states have to do with telling time? What ticks in an atomic clock are the light waves used to energize atoms. As we tune the light frequency toward the atoms’ resonant frequency, more and more atoms will absorb energy from the light and make a quantum jump. By measuring how many atoms have absorbed energy, we can detect when the light frequency has reached the resonant frequency — or at least come very close. Then we count the crests and troughs of the resonant light and convert those counts into ticks of time. Link |
 [Vaccines Work] US measles cases creep to over 1,300. We track its spread through unvaccinated people. Link |
| [Climate Change Denial] This massive lie can best be summed up as “when it comes to climate change… we have more time.”
To be clear, we are not talking about the kind of total climate denial one would find on the extremist, lunatic fringe inhabited by the likes of Alex Jones or the current U.S. President. And we’re not referring to cartoonish hucksters and “climate skeptics” like Joe Rogan or Jordan Peterson. Polling shows only 14.8 percent of Americans deny the basic sixth grade science behind global warming. To put that in perspective, as much as 10 percent of the population still believes the Earth is flat. No, the monstrous, misshapen garden colossus lie we’re referring to is subscribed to by most of the U.S., has stopped and slowed climate action far more than outright denial, and keeps growing and growing. Every day this deception whispers seductively in the ears of mankind: “global warming is real but not urgent… Keep doing what you’re doing.” Link |
 The world’s oldest lightbulb has been shining for 125 years. Conspiracy theorists say the Centennial Bulb proves a longtime utility cover-up. The answer is more complicated. Link |
| [Friday Joke] Some days I feel like I’m surrounded by idiots. Other days I realize it’s not just some days. |
| The current Coconut Telegraph was published on 8/7/26 at 8:21 am. |
 [For Sale] Pellet Gun Gamo Swarm Maxxim 10X GEN 2 Multi-Shot Air Rifle. Two 10-round .177 clips. 3 x 9 variable scope. Box of pellets. $200 new. Half price used $100. b33043@outlook.com Video |
 [For Sale] Folding scaffold 30L x 12w x 20h. 4 scaffolds (not sold separately) New $200, Big Pine Key pick-up half-price: $100. Excellent condition.b33043@outlook.com Link |
 [For Sale] Crossman P1377 American Classic Variable-Pump .177-Caliber Pellet Air Pistol. New $70. For Sale $25. 800 feet per second. Pick up on Big Pine Key. b33043@outlook.com Video |
| Snapshots taken from Big Pine Key looking North between Annette Key and Mayo Key every Friday evening since 2023. You may hover to view a photo, see the date of the photo, or use the left or right arrows on the images. |
