Tuesday☕️

Earth Intelligence

22 Jul 2025 — 7 min read

Trending:

Yesterday, July 21, 2025, the U.S. government released over 230,000 pages of previously classified documents related to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The release was coordinated by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in collaboration with the Department of Justice, FBI, CIA, and National Archives and Records Administration. These digitized files, now publicly accessible online at the National Archives website (archives.gov/research/mlk), include details from the FBI’s investigation, internal memos on case progress, potential leads such as information from assassin James Earl Ray’s former cellmate about an alleged plot, foreign evidence from Canadian authorities on Ray’s escape, and CIA records on overseas intelligence efforts during the manhunt. Redactions were minimal, mainly for privacy concerns like Social Security numbers and grand jury information, marking a major push toward transparency after decades of restricted access.

This disclosure stems from Executive Order 14176, issued by President Donald Trump on January 23, 2025, directing agencies to declassify records on the assassinations of MLK, President John F. Kennedy, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Historically, MLK was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, with James Earl Ray convicted as the lone gunman, though conspiracy theories involving government agencies and organized crime have persisted. Prior legislative efforts, such as the proposed Martin Luther King Jr. Records Collection Act, failed to accelerate disclosures, leaving many files sealed until 2027. Reactions to the release are mixed: Attorney General Pamela Bondi hosted MLK’s niece, Dr. Alveda King, who praised it as a step toward truth and justice, while other family members like Bernice King and Martin Luther King III expressed concerns over potential misuse to discredit MLK’s legacy and invasions of privacy from FBI surveillance under the COINTELPRO program. Public responses vary, with some viewing it as fulfilling long-standing demands for accountability and others seeing it as politically motivated amid broader declassification efforts. No groundbreaking revelations have surfaced immediately, but the files offer new avenues for researching the investigation’s scope and any overlooked connections.

Economics & Markets:

Yesterday’s U.S. stock market:

Yesterday’s commodity market:

Yesterday’s crypto market:

Geopolitics & Military Activity:

Environment & Weather:

Yesterday, July 21, 2025, record-breaking rainfall of 296 mm in just 12 hours triggered widespread flooding and landslides in Lianjiang County, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China. The intense downpour led to flash floods that submerged streets, homes, fields, and underground parking garages, while sweeping away vehicles and causing disruptions in residential and commercial areas. A notable landslide in central Fuzhou blocked a road tunnel by burying its entrance with debris, complicating access for emergency responders. No casualties were reported, but the event created chaotic conditions, as seen in videos depicting muddy waters carrying debris through neighborhoods and overwhelming local infrastructure.

The flooding was associated with the lingering effects of Typhoon Wipha, which had made landfall in southern China’s Guangdong Province the day before, bringing heavy rains to coastal areas including Fujian and heightening flood risks in 13 rivers nationwide. Fujian’s Meteorological Bureau had issued an orange rainstorm warning—the second-highest alert level—ahead of the storm to warn of potential flash floods and landslides. Local authorities responded with emergency measures, such as implementing traffic controls and restoring disrupted train services, while urging residents to stay vigilant against further hazards. This occurrence underscores China’s ongoing vulnerabilities to extreme weather, influenced by factors like climate change, and emphasizes the need for enhanced disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience.

Pakistan Flooding:

Yesterday, July 21, 2025, heavy monsoon rains caused significant urban flooding in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, particularly in areas like Saidpur Village and nearby regions. Torrential downpours, with rainfall exceeding 145 mm in some spots, led to flash floods that swept away vehicles, damaged roads and buildings, and disrupted daily life in low-lying areas. The flooding was worsened by illegal constructions obstructing natural drainage channels, such as nullahs, turning streets into fast-flowing rivers. Nearby Rawalpindi also faced overflow from the Nullah Lai River, which rose by 16-18 feet, triggering evacuation alerts. While no fatalities were reported in Islamabad on this day, the event contributed to the monsoon season’s nationwide death toll, which has surpassed 100 lives since early July, with many victims being children.

This flooding incident is part of a recurring pattern of monsoon disasters in Pakistan, driven by climate change, inadequate urban planning, and deforestation, which intensify the effects of seasonal rains. Authorities, including the Capital Development Authority and district teams, have initiated emergency responses and advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel, with red alerts issued for continued flooding and landslides through July 25 in provinces like Punjab. Social media and news reports highlighted the severity through footage of affected areas, including tourist spots in the Margalla Hills. Broader challenges, such as improving infrastructure resilience, remain key issues, and officials continue monitoring the situation for relief efforts.

Space:

Today, July 22, 2025, SpaceX has two launches scheduled. The first mission is NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites), set to launch from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 11:13 a.m. PDT (2:13 p.m. EDT). This Falcon 9 mission will deploy a total of seven spacecraft, including the two primary TRACERS satellites, which are intended to study interactions between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere to support space weather research. The five rideshare payloads include the Athena EPIC SmallSat for testing remote-sensing technologies, the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT/Bard) for evaluating communications network roaming, the Relativistic Electron Atmospheric Loss (REAL) CubeSat for examining high-energy particle scattering in the atmosphere, Jackal 4, and Dione CubeSat. The first-stage booster is planned to land at Landing Zone 4 on the base.
The second launch is the O3b mPOWER mission for SES, targeted for 5:12 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, after a delay from July 21 due to technical issues. This Falcon 9 flight will deploy two Boeing-built satellites into medium Earth orbit to expand SES’s constellation for providing broadband connectivity with high throughput and low latency, aimed at enterprise, government, and mobile users. Weather conditions are reported as 20% favorable, which may affect the timing, and the first-stage booster is scheduled for recovery on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean. These missions involve deployments for scientific and communications purposes.

Statistic:

Largest telecommunication companies by market capitalization:

🇺🇸 T-Mobile US: $264.12B
🇨🇳 China Mobile: $241.38B
🇺🇸 AT&T: $197.15B
🇺🇸 Verizon: $179.14B
🇩🇪 Deutsche Telekom: $177.05B
🇮🇳 Bharti Airtel: $141.54B
🇺🇸 Comcast: $130.71B
🇯🇵 SoftBank: $111.34B
🇺🇸 American Tower: $106.03B
🇨🇳 China Telecom: $92.38B
🇯🇵 NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone): $84.09B
🇯🇵 KDDI: $65.54B
🇸🇦 Saudi Telecom Company: $56.60B
🇸🇬 Singtel: $53.35B
🇺🇸 Charter Communications: $53.13B
🇲🇽 América Móvil: $52.68B
🇺🇸 Crown Castle: $46.33B
🇦🇪 Emirates Telecom (Etisalat Group): $43.86B
🇫🇷 Orange: $40.95B
🇨🇭 Swisscom: $36.73B
🇦🇺 Telstra: $36.63B
🇭🇰 China Unicom: $36.44B
🇹🇼 Chunghwa Telecom: $33.99B
🇪🇸 Telefónica: $30.02B
🇬🇧 Vodafone: $27.12B

History:

T-Mobile began in 1994 as VoiceStream Wireless, a regional GSM carrier in the United States. In 2001, it was acquired by Deutsche Telekom and rebranded as T-Mobile USA. The company gained national attention in the 2010s through its “Un-carrier” strategy, which eliminated service contracts, introduced unlimited data plans, simplified billing, and added international roaming at no extra cost. These moves challenged industry norms and helped T-Mobile grow its subscriber base significantly. Strategic acquisitions, such as its 2013 merger with MetroPCS, further strengthened its market position and expanded its spectrum assets, especially in the prepaid segment.
In 2020, T-Mobile completed a major merger with Sprint, gaining critical mid-band spectrum that boosted its 5G rollout and network capabilities. This positioned T-Mobile as a serious competitor to AT&T and Verizon in both coverage and speed. Since then, T-Mobile has continued expanding its network and services, including broadband offerings. As of 2025, it holds the distinction of being the largest U.S. telecom company by market capitalization, a reflection of its sustained subscriber growth, aggressive network buildout, and strong financial performance. The company’s transformation from a disruptor to a market leader marks a significant shift in the U.S. telecommunications landscape.

Image of the day: