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Filippo Dezza was turning heads at the European Athletics Championships — and not just for his blazing speed in the 200 meters.

Tesla's New Roadster Reportedly Uses SpaceX Cold-Gas Thrusters To Fly

Tesla plans to unveil a redesigned Roadster sports car with limited "flying" capabilities later this month, The Information reported Friday morning, citing people familiar with the matter. The report follows this week's comments from Tesla's chief vehicle designer, who said the long-delayed Roadster is "coming soon."

The limited-edition Roadster reportedly uses SpaceX cold-gas thrusters to hover and will be remotely operated during the unveiling event, scheduled for later this month at the rocket company's testing site in McGregor, Texas.

"Between Elon Musk's promises of supernimble robots and interstellar colonization, the billionaire has spent plenty of time over the last decade hyping up another ambitious effort: the next version of the Roadster, the sporty electric vehicle that first put Tesla on the map. At first, he said he wanted the vehicle to be the fastest production car in the world. The Information began its report, noting that Musk is now pursuing a new "Flying" Roadster.

Tesla has moved away from the original 2017 design toward a carbon-fiber-tub architecture, with the latest prototype featuring two seats and butterfly doors. The thruster-equipped version is not expected to be street legal.

Tesla is putting cold-gas thrusters from SpaceX on the Roadster. This clip is from a podcast where you can hear them being tested. pic.twitter.com/XL6hrUV5D4 https://t.co/sKnXP4SLWP

— Robin (@xdNiBoR) August 14, 2026

Cold-gas thrusters generate lift by releasing pressurized gas through a nozzle without combustion. Common propellants include nitrogen, helium, compressed air, argon, and carbon dioxide. SpaceX uses these thrusters on the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets for pointing and roll control. 

Musk in 2018:

SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car. These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly …

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018

Musk in 2019:

I’m not. Will use SpaceX cold gas thruster system with ultra high pressure air in a composite over-wrapped pressure vessel in place of the 2 rear seats.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2019

Musk this year:

You will get flying cars

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2026

The report also noted that Musk warned Tesla employees that the stunt later this month would be difficult to execute and could go awry, though he said it would be entertaining regardless.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/14/2026 - 10:30

"I want pieces that are comfortable and easy for everyday life, but that I can dress up and still feel really good in,” the star told Page Six Style.

"I want pieces that are comfortable and easy for everyday life, but that I can dress up and still feel really good in,” the star told Page Six Style.

News surfaced in July that the comedians had been separated for a few months after 18 years of marriage.

News surfaced in July that the comedians had been separated for a few months after 18 years of marriage.

Surrogate McKenna West was about 20 weeks pregnant when the baby she was carrying, Gabriel, was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

A statement from the Italian Carabinieri’s art recovery squad said the paintings were discovered during searches ordered by prosecutors, but no details were given.

"Bin There, Done That?" Not Quite

By Elwin de Groot, head of macro strategy at Rabobank

Markets may be suffering from a growing sense of "bin there, done that" fatigue when it comes to geopolitical shocks, but central banks are in no position to throw recent developments into the bin just yet.

Take Hormuz. Both sides now claim to firmly control the Strait, President Trump appears to favour squeezing Iran economically (or, in Bessent’s words, “economic isolation like the world has never seen before”) rather than militarily (whilst Iran’s thinking may be pretty similar!), and reports of renewed US-Iran talks continue to circulate. On the surface, the situation looks calmer than it did a few weeks ago. Yet it remains as opaque as ever. Despite investors becoming more accustomed to these episodes, the net result has still been a gradual rise in crude oil prices and a renewed climb in European gas benchmarks towards this year's highs.

That is important because this week's US inflation report, while broadly on the mark, is unlikely to settle the debate within central banks. July CPI showed further moderation, while last week's disappointing US payrolls figures strengthened the case for policy doves. However, policymakers are, once again, increasingly confronted by a growing collection of supply-side risks that have the potential to reignite inflationary pressures. Indeed, this week offered a reminder that the global economy's logistical arteries are coming under strain from multiple directions.

The White House released a report on ‘illegal’ transshipment, identifying Canada, the EU, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and Taiwan as first tier (also because of large volumes) conduits for evading US tariffs. Although the report concludes that it “is too early to determine the net effect of the Administration’s tariff and anti-transshipment policies”, it serves as a reminder that the tariff heat remains on.

Talking about heat, Europe has entered its fifth heatwave of the year. Combined with severe drought conditions, the extreme weather is threatening agricultural yields, constraining electricity generation and disrupting transport infrastructure. Water levels on the Rhine, which accounts for around 80% of Germany's inland waterway freight transport, have dropped towards critical levels. Transport costs (gasoline barge) from Rotterdam to Cologne have doubled (even quadrupled since end of June), creating yet another bottleneck for European industry.

Nor are these challenges confined to Europe.

Attention may shift towards Panama later this year, where a strengthening El Niño threatens to reduce rainfall and inflows into Gatun Lake, the key water source for the Panama Canal. Shipping restrictions are already being discussed as water levels remain below seasonal norms. Unsurprisingly, container freight rates continue to climb, with Shanghai-New York shipping costs reaching their highest level in more than two years and Shanghai-LA picking up again as well.

Ironically, climate change may also create new future opportunities. Climate change may imply softer European winters (lower gas demand?) and higher aggregate agricultural production due to longer growing seasons, particularly in Northern Europe. Similarly, Arctic shipping routes are becoming increasingly navigable, potentially cutting travel times between Asia and Europe dramatically. Yet that is a story for the future. For now, the list of constraints remains considerably longer than the list of potential positive externalities.

The grain market offers a particularly striking example. Exports from both Russia and Ukraine are facing severe disruption. Ukrainian Black Sea ports have been closed for weeks following intensified attacks, while low Danube water levels are limiting alternative routes. At the same time, Ukrainian strikes have disrupted Russian export infrastructure in both the Sea of Azov and around Novorossiysk. Taken together, these disruptions affect a substantial share of global wheat exports and reinforce the increasingly constructive outlook for agricultural prices.

Viewed in isolation, none of these developments necessarily forces a central bank response. Taken together, however, they help explain why policymakers remain reluctant to declare victory over inflation.

The Fed is a case in point. While softer inflation and weaker labor market data support the argument for remaining on hold, hawks will continue to question whether inflation can sustainably return to target in an environment characterized by geopolitical uncertainty, higher commodity prices and recurring supply disruptions. Our base case remains that the FOMC stays on hold for the remainder of this year, but the risk of another hike cannot be dismissed.

In Japan, the debate looks even more skewed towards further tightening. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has once again stressed the importance of Bank of Japan independence while also emphasizing the need to achieve the inflation target sustainably. Following the recent intervention to support the yen, policymakers are increasingly aware that exchange-rate management ultimately requires support from monetary policy. As USD/JPY retraces some of its earlier decline, the case for another BoJ hike is gradually strengthening.

Australia tells a similar story. The RBA left rates unchanged this week, and markets initially interpreted the accompanying statement as relatively dovish. Governor Bullock quickly pushed back against that view, revealing that policymakers debated both holding and hiking, and noting that another increase remains "quite possible". The RBA clearly hopes previous tightening will prove sufficient. We remain unconvinced and continue to expect one more hike later this year.

Even in the UK, where the Bank of England remains reluctant to tighten further, yesterday's stronger-than-expected GDP data provided ammunition for the hawks. Growth was broad-based, investment contributed positively and GDP per capita rose by a healthy 0.4% q/q. As our UK strategist Stefan Koopman notes, however, caution is warranted. Britain has developed a habit of strong first halves followed by disappointing second halves. The key question is whether 2026 finally breaks that pattern.

And then there is Clacton. Yesterday's by-election evolved into one of the more uniquely British political events in recent memory, with Nigel Farage facing not Labour or the Conservatives, but the satirical Count Binface. Taking 62.8% of the vote, a clear improvement compared to his 2024 results, may help Reform UK to claim voters have effectively binned recent controversies. Yet, without a serious opponent from the other mainstream parties including Labour, one could question that of course. The upshot, though, is that the anti-establishment and populist wave is far from out in the UK.

All taken together, the broader lesson for markets is clear. Investors may increasingly feel that they have seen these shocks before. But central bankers cannot afford to adopt a bin-it-and-move-on approach. For them, the accumulation of supply-side risks remains impossible to ignore. And as long as that is the case, another rate hike somewhere in the world remains firmly on the table.

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/14/2026 - 10:15

UMich Sentiment Slumps In August As War Re-Escalated, Inflation Fears Tick-Up

Following July's rebound to pre-war levels, the preliminary August University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index was expected to weaken modestly as the MidEast re-escalated (and with it the price of gas).

Sure enough, the headline sentiment index tumbled from 55.2 to 51.0 (55.0 exp) with both Current Conditions (51.8 vs 54.8 prior vs 54.9 exp) and Expectations (50.6 vs 55.4 prior vs 55.2 exp) also both tumbling...

Decreases in sentiment were seen across the political spectrum, with Republicans exhibiting the strongest month-to-month decline in August. Sentiment among Republicans is now 19% below readings just prior to the Iran conflict and the lowest since the 2024 election.

Although the early-month weakening in sentiment was pervasive across various demographic groups, notably large reductions were seen among older consumers, lower-income consumers, and those without a college degree.

As Surveys of Consumers Director, Joanne Hsu noted: "these groups are all particularly vulnerable to any erosion of purchasing power stemming from inflation."

Across all consumers, only 8% expect their income growth to exceed inflation in the year ahead, down from 18% in December 2024, a reflection of the belief that high prices will continue to be burdensome.

While views of personal finances saw only minor declines, expected business conditions sank 11% for the short run and 17% for the long run.

Year-ahead inflation expectations ticked up from 4.2% in July to 4.3% this month. The current reading substantially exceeds the 3.4% seen in February before the Iran conflict began, along with all 2024 readings.

Long-run inflation expectations held steady at 3.3% for the third consecutive month, remaining a bit higher than its 2024 range of 2.8% to 3.2%.

Interestingly, it is Republicans' fear of inflation that is flat to rising (admittedly from very low levels) while Democrats and Independents see inflation continuing to slow...

Slowing inflation (CPI/PPI), weaker retail sales, and now sentiment sliding... not exactly a recipe for rate-hikes...

Tyler Durden Fri, 08/14/2026 - 10:08

The comic's cure for male loneliness? "Go see The Odyssey with some new cool looking guy."

Your lashes will thank you.

Use Kalshi promo code NYPMAX to trade on Jets vs. Bucs.

Minneapolis’ pandering leftist Mayor Jacob Frey broke out some dance moves during a rap performance at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair over the weekend — quickly drawing a torrent of mockery for his awkward plodding. Frey, 45, wearing an off-white button-down, gray khakis and dark sunglasses, clumsily gyrated his arms and hips as a hip-hop...

Houston high school teacher Darius Williams broke down in tears after he said his 17- and 18-year-old students struggled to complete a basic reading and writing exercise — even after he walked them through the material and provided much of the answer. Williams said the seniors could reason and express themselves verbally but struggled to...

It pays to serve, a newly updated bill offers veterans pay for tuition and fees, offers money for housing, cash for books and supplies and will help them move from a rural area to go to school.

His mother posted about his passing on Facebook earlier this week.

His mother posted about his passing on Facebook earlier this week.

“If you’re going to do that kind of act in that area, at that time, you’re more than likely, if you’re going to kill somebody, to kill a Jew,” the husband said.

An upscale California city is declaring an emergency that will allow it to take down unsightly local homeless encampments, officials announced Thursday.