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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket explodes during test at Cape Canaveral [Updated]

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Updated 3:04pm: A new video surfaces on YouTube from USLaunchReport that provides a closer look at the Falcon 9 explosion that took place today at Cape Canaveral during a static fire test. Some viewers noted what it appears to be a projectile flying across screen (1:10min) right before the point of explosion. Is this the “anomaly” SpaceX was referring to?


A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on its launch pad Thursday morning while conducting a static fire test at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Witnesses of the incident took to social media to describe hearing several explosions followed by a fireball and plume of black smoke seen rising from SpaceX’s launch complex shortly after 9 am local time.

“We were sitting here and all of a sudden it sounded like a sonic boom and the building started to shake,” said Denny Waktins of the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce. “There were a couple of minor booms after that and then we went outside and saw the smoke plume. It was a well-defined plume, not like a controlled burn.”

Local meteorologist Jesse Hawila captures the smoke as a result of the explosion on radar.

A representative from SpaceX confirms the incident via a statement, “SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today’s static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload. Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries.”

The rocket was scheduled to launch this Saturday, September 3 on a mission to deliver Spacecom’s AMOS-6 communication satellite into geostationary transfer orbit. The satellite was to be used as part of social media giant Facebook’s mission to bring affordable internet access to less-developed countries.

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Today’s incident occurred during standard rocket preparations where Falcon 9’s nine Merlin engines undergo a test-firing on a launch pad. It’s the company’s only other catastrophic failure since June of least year when a Falcon 9 exploded in flight while on a NASA mission to carry supplies to the International Space Station.

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Destroying Tesla stores partially acceptable, says nearly 40% of U.S. study’s respondents

It appears that a growing number of people are willing to justify or even applaud the idea of killing people like Elon Musk or Donald Trump.

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Credit: Andrea Conway/X

A study from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has revealed a rather disturbing trend in the United States. Based on the study, it appears that a growing number of people are willing to justify or even applaud the idea of killing people like Elon Musk or Donald Trump. A notable number of the study’s respondents also stated that they find it partially acceptable to destroy Tesla stores as a form of protest.

The NCRI Study

The NCRI’s study was initiated to determine people’s support for political violence. As per the organization, calls for political violence towards people like Trump and Musk are becoming increasingly normalized. The same is true for property destruction, such as the firebombing of Tesla stores and Superchargers and the vandalism of consumer vehicles. 

For its study, the NCRI surveyed 1,264 U.S. residents, balanced to reflect census data on race/ethnicity, gender, age, and education. Respondents were then asked demographic information, political identity, several political and psychological scales, and questions concerning their acceptance of specific forms of political violence.

Musk, Tesla, and Trump

Some troubling trends emerged from the study, including the fact that 57.6% of respondents who self-identified as left of center stated that destroying Tesla dealerships is partially acceptable. Even more disturbing was the fact that 48.6% of respondents who self-identified as left of center reported that if someone murdered Elon Musk, they would at least be somewhat justified. For U.S. President Donald Trump, this number was higher at 55.2%.

Without isolating respondents who self-identified as left of center, 39.8% of the study’s respondents still stated that destroying Tesla stores is partially acceptable, 31.6% still stated that killing Elon Musk was somewhat justified, and 38.5% still stated that killing Donald Trump was somewhat justified.

What the NCRI Says

Joel Finkelstein, the lead author of the NCRI’s study, stated that an “assassination culture” of sorts is emerging, especially following the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the hands of Luigi Mangione in December 2024. As could be seen in social media activity of people against Musk or Trump, calls for the assassination of the CEO and President are abounding among their harshest critics.

“What was formerly taboo culturally has become acceptable. We are seeing a clear shift – glorification, increased attempts, and changing norms – all converging into what we define as ‘assassination culture.’ It’s not just Luigi anymore. We’re seeing an expansion: Trump, Musk and others are now being openly discussed as legitimate targets, often cloaked in meme culture and gamified online dialogue,” Finkelstein stated.

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Below is a video about the NCRI’s study.

And below is the NCRI’s study itself.

NCRI Assassination Culture Brief by Simon Alvarez on Scribd

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk and fmr VP candidate Tim Walz continue war of words

Elon Musk and Tim Walz continue trading barbs as the former VP candidate called the Tesla CEO a “greedy bastard.”

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Credit: MINISTÉRIO DAS COMUNICAÇÕES, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons | Tim Walz on X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz are continuing their war of words against one another as the Minnesota politician made more comments last evening.

Musk then responded to those comments today in a post on X.

Walz said last night that Musk is a “greedy bastard” who did not pay taxes after he became successful. The former VP hopeful also said that “people like Elon Musk” should be demonized:

“Once you become successful, don’t be a greedy bastard and not pay your taxes. I don’t think we should be the party that demonizes someone because they can afford something—they worked hard & got something. We should demonize people like Elon Musk. That’s different.”

These comments from Walz follow previous statements he made about Tesla stock, stating that when it goes down, he gets a boost. These comments were met with criticism from people in various sectors, including Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, who is nicknamed “Mr. Wonderful.”

O’Leary called Walz out for hoping Tesla shares drop as they are a holding in the Minnesota Pension Fund. Walz said the comments were just a joke.

Musk chose to respond to Walz’s comments from last night this morning in a response to the above X post, calling him “a liar”:

Funny enough, Musk has not avoided paying his taxes. In fact, in 2021, he paid the largest single-year tax bill in American history, as he wrote a cheque to the IRS for $11 billion:

Elon Musk’s 2021 taxes equates to over $1.5 million for every day he’s been a US citizen

It is unclear why Walz continues to speak negatively about Musk, especially as it seems he is going out of his way to do so. More than likely, it is to continue pushback against Musk’s involvement with the Trump Administration.

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Volkswagen global deliveries climb with EV boost

VW’s EV boom comes as Tesla weathers protests in Germany over Musk’s ties to Trump. Did politics help VW in Q1—or is it just timing?

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The Volkswagen Group’s global deliveries rose in Q1, fueled by demand for electric vehicles (EVs).

Europe’s top automaker saw deliveries tick up 1.4% to 2.13 million units, riding a wave of electric vehicle growth in Europe and the Americas. However, Volkswagen stumbled in China, where deliveries dropped 7.1% against fierce local competition.

Volkswagen’s EV sales soared over 100% in Europe and 51% in the U.S.—Tesla’s strongholds. Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s sales in China plunged 37%, where BYD reigns.

Bloomberg suggested that the increase in Volkswagen’s sales might be related to Europe’s aversion to the Tesla brand. Tesla has felt the brunt of the backlash from Elon Musk’s political moves in Europe and his ties to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump and Musk took place in Berlin-Mitte, Germany. Local police estimated that about 250 people protested against Trump and Musk in front of a Tesla showroom. One protester was temporarily arrested for displaying a poster featuring Elon Musk performing the Nazi salute. According to authorities, the poster was anti-constitutional.

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However, Tesla’s delivery dip in the first quarter might have more to do with its Model Y preparations. The American EV automaker focused on retooling and upgrading its factories in America, China, and Europe to produce the new Model Y.

Trump’s tariffs cloud the horizon for VW and German peers like Audi and Porsche. Export woes loom for German automakers, but Volkswagen’s EV surge might offer a buffer.

Trump’s tariffs will affect Tesla as well. Elon Musk has been vocal about his stance on Trump’s tariffs, noting that it will impact Tesla.

“To be clear, this will affect the price of parts in Tesla cars that come from other countries. The cost impact is not trivial,” Elon Musk shared in an X post.

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