Today’s US News 4 Aug, 2025

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1🔥 Why More People Are Retiring Way Earlier Than You Think
Summary (Quick Read):
The FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is all about saving big, spending less, and quitting the 9–5 life way early. Nik and Adinah Johnson did just that—retired in their 40s with $1.6M saved. Now? More family time, less stress.

The idea: save 25x your yearly spending, live off 4%, and focus on what matters. It’s not about being rich—it’s about having freedom.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-the-fire-movement-is-inspiring-early-retirees/
2⚡ Georgia Power’s Big Expansion Is Fueled by… a Lot of Gas
Georgia Power is planning a huge energy expansion—adding 10,000 megawatts of new power over the next five years to meet growing demand from data centers in Georgia.

But here’s the catch: over half of that power will come from natural gas, not renewables. Critics say this move could lock Georgia into more fossil fuel use just when the climate crisis calls for cleaner energy.

To meet the demand, the plan includes gas plants, some battery storage, and limited solar power. Coal plants may stay online until 2038, and consumer advocates warn: if data centers don’t use all this power, regular customers might end up paying more.

Georgia is becoming a data center hotspot—but the energy costs and environmental impact could be huge.
https://www.ajc.com/business/2025/08/georgia-powers-massive-data-center-expansion-includes-a-lot-of-gas/
3🪙 Cardano (ADA) Holds Support as Whales and Governance Fuel Hope
Cardano (ADA) is holding steady near $0.70, a key support level. Big investors (“whales”) are quietly buying more ADA—usually a strong sign of long-term confidence.

At the same time, Cardano approved 39 new community projects, unlocking 275 million ADA to boost development. This shows growing momentum behind its decentralized governance.

If ADA breaks above $0.85–$0.90, it could target $1+ soon. Some analysts even see long-term potential up to $6.25—but that depends on continued progress.
https://bravenewcoin.com/insights/cardano-price-prediction-oversold-indicators-spark-hopes-of-a-quick-bounce-toward-0-75
4🧠 What If Inflation Fell to 0%? ChatGPT Weighs In
If inflation dropped to 0%, prices would stay flat—great for savings and easier budgeting. Your money keeps its value, and there’s less pressure for constant pay raises just to keep up.

But it’s not all good news. Zero inflation risks tipping into deflation, where prices fall, spending slows, and jobs are lost. Also, paying off debt gets harder because you lose the “inflation cushion” that usually helps reduce the real burden over time.

Plus, if the economy needs a boost, central banks would have fewer tools left—since interest rates are already low.

Bottom line: 0% inflation sounds ideal, but experts agree a little inflation (like 2%) is healthier for long-term growth.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/we-asked-chatgpt-what-if-inflation-fell-to-0/ar-AA1JOSpd?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds
5💰 Cathie Wood Shifts Gears: Sells Roblox & Coinbase, Buys Crypto Infra
Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest just dumped big chunks of Coinbase (COIN) and Roblox (RBLX), selling over $50M worth across ETFs.

In their place? Ark picked up $54M of Bitmine Immersion (BMNR)—a crypto infrastructure firm focused on Ethereum, chaired by Tom Lee.

The move signals a shift from trading platforms and gaming to crypto infrastructure and long-term innovation.
https://www.tipranks.com/news/coin-bmnr-rblx-cathie-wood-buys-over-54m-of-crypto-stocks-dumps-roblox-stake
6📈 ARK Invest Buys the Dip: $47M in Coinbase & BitMine
Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest just grabbed $30M in Coinbase (COIN) and $17M in BitMine (BMNR) stock after recent price drops.

COIN dropped 16.7% — ARK added ~94K shares

BMNR fell 8.6% — ARK bought ~540K shares

BitMine now has over $52M invested from ARK this week alone. The company holds 625K ETH, making it a major Ethereum treasury play.

Bottom line: ARK is doubling down on crypto infrastructure—even during dips.
https://www.theblock.co/post/365331/ark-invest-buys-30-million-in-coinbase-shares-adds-17-million-in-bitmine-across-three-funds
7☀️ Florida’s Quiet Solar Surge Is Turning Heads
Florida is quickly becoming a U.S. solar leader—adding over 3 GW of solar power in 2025, even outpacing California. Behind the boom: faster permitting, strong demand from tech companies, and a 30% federal tax credit that expires soon.

Utilities like Florida Power & Light are also investing big in battery storage, aiming for 4 GW by 2033 to keep the grid strong during storms.

Florida has no state-level renewable mandate, so this growth is powered by private demand and policy incentives.

Bottom line: Florida is a rising star in clean energy—quiet now, but packed with potential.
https://www.ainvest.com/news/florida-quiet-solar-powerhouse-surge-unlocking-sun-belt-undervalued-energy-opportunity-2508/
8📺 Rumble’s New Ad Model Is All About Real Attention
Rumble is shaking up digital ads with a bold approach: reward watch time and engagement, not just clicks or views. Its Rumble Rank system promotes longer, high-quality content over viral snippets.

In Q1 2025, Rumble hit:

8.5B minutes watched,

59M monthly users,

87% retention — beating YouTube’s average.

Creators earn 60–90% of ad revenue (vs. YouTube’s 45%), drawing niche influencers and loyal audiences. With its Locals.com buyout and upcoming crypto-based Rumble Wallet, the platform is building a full-stack ad and revenue ecosystem.

Bottom line: Rumble’s attention-based model could reshape digital ads—but it still has to scale and turn a profit.
https://www.ainvest.com/news/rumble-disruptive-ecosystem-model-implications-future-digital-advertising-2508/
9🎰 Spartans Rises as a 2025 Crypto Casino Leader
The online casino world is shifting fast—and Spartans is leading the 2025 charge. While traditional sites like SkyBet face licensing issues and have paused signups in places like India, crypto-native platforms are stepping in.

Spartans stands out with:

Instant withdrawals in BTC, ETH, USDC

No regional blocks or banking delays

A massive game library: 5,963+ titles from 43 providers

Daily 25% cashback, plus early access perks through its $SPARTANS coin

Compared to Stake, which boasts celebrity endorsements and big revenue but only accepts crypto, Spartans combines ease of use with full crypto support and a sleek, self-custody setup—no digital wallet headaches.

Bottom line: For players who want speed, global access, and no banking fuss, Spartans is shaping up to be the go-to crypto casino of 2025.
https://www.ainvest.com/news/spartans-emerges-2025-crypto-casino-leader-5963-games-instant-withdrawals-2508/
10💧 LA’s Big Bet on Recycled Water
Los Angeles is going all-in on recycled water, aiming for 100% reuse by 2056. Its Pure Water and Groundwater Replenishment programs target 150 million gallons/day by 2030.

Key funding includes:

$224M in federal WIFIA loans

$125M in WaterSMART grants

$1.2B from private investment

The city even reopened free fill stations for residents to grab recycled water for landscaping—part of a greener, drought-resistant system.

Why it matters: LA is creating a blueprint for sustainable cities, blending public and private investment to build long-term water security.
https://www.ainvest.com/news/los-angeles-recycled-water-renaissance-blueprint-urban-sustainability-green-infrastructure-investment-2508/