Critical Minerals and the Future of Energy
Critical minerals underpin everything from phones to wind turbines, yet they are scarce, messy to extract, and geopolitically tangled. Translation, our energy future is hitched to hard-to-get rocks, fragile supply chains, and whoever controls the mines this week.
FBI Arrests Man Over TikTok Bounty Post Targeting Pam Bondi
Federal agents arrested 29-year-old Tyler Maxon Avalos in St. Paul on October 16 after a Michigan tipster flagged a TikTok video showing crosshairs over former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and a claimed 45,000 dollar bounty. He is charged under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c) with interstate transmission of a threat, a felony that carries up to five years. Investigators linked the Wacko account to Avalos via Minnesota supervision records and noted prior convictions in Minnesota and Florida, including a 2022 felony stalking case. A magistrate judge released him under strict conditions, no internet without approval, GPS monitoring, curfew, no weapons or alcohol, restricted travel, and continued mental health treatment. Prosecutors still must prove the post was a true threat, a high bar where political speech and hyperbole often blur the lines. The defense says he is not guilty, which is a reminder that posting cosplay revolution on TikTok is a very poor substitute for judgment and a very good way to meet the FBI.
Maine Candidate Admits Antigay Reddit Posts, Calls Them Indefensible
Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner acknowledged he authored a series of antigay Reddit posts and labeled them indefensible in an interview with The Advocate, which surfaced the posts. From anonymity to apology is a brisk jog, but voters will decide whether contrition can outpace bigotry at the ballot box.
Three La Santé Inmates Moved After Threats Toward Sarkozy
French authorities placed three prisoners in special custody after they taunted and threatened former president Nicolas Sarkozy at Paris’s La Santé prison. Free speech has a different dress code behind bars, and this is not it.
England Add McGuigan to Coaching Team in Job Share With Sale
England have brought McGuigan into Steve Borthwick’s setup to sharpen contact skills and the back three, splitting duties with Sale. Club and country will share a coach, and presumably a mountain of tackle bags and a very stressed calendar invite.
UC Riverside Finds Why a Solid Electrolyte Stays Cool
Engineers at UC Riverside report that a unique atomic structure in a solid electrolyte boosts thermal stability in solid-state batteries, keeping them cool in use. That points to safer, more powerful lithium cells that prefer performance over pyrotechnics. Hot tech, cool temperament, finally.
Arizona Family Murder-Suicide Under Investigation
Police in Pima, Arizona, found four family members deceased during an October 16 welfare check in what investigators describe as a murder-suicide. Authorities identified the victims as Justice Jones, 31, her children, Kyle, 10, and Tyme, 8, and Justice’s father, Duane Michael Jones, 64, who was found with the firearm. Multiple agencies are investigating, and autopsies are underway at the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner. Community fundraisers have been launched to support the surviving family. This is a devastating case, and the focus remains on the victims, the loved ones they leave behind, and the ongoing investigation.
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