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Today we're covering a major drop in US EV sales, how US passports have dropped from 6 to only 2 weeks, and why principles trump methods.

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U.S. electric vehicle sales dropped 6.2% in June, marking the third consecutive monthly decline despite record manufacturer incentives and rock-bottom lease deals. Automakers are offering aggressive pricing, including $169 monthly leases on $38,000 vehicles, as they struggle to move inventory. Tesla's global sales fell 13.5% in the second quarter, contributing to the broader market downturn.

The EV market faces persistent consumer resistance due to range anxiety, high costs, and inadequate charging infrastructure concerns. Despite 75 EV models now available compared to fewer than 20 in 2020, American drivers remain hesitant to transition from gasoline vehicles. Promotions currently cover over 14% of average transaction prices, with twice as many incentives offered for EVs versus traditional cars.

Republican lawmakers are eliminating the $7,500 federal EV tax credit effective September 30 (see more), creating urgency for potential buyers. Industry leaders acknowledge the impending challenge, with Toyota's David Christ noting they have "60 days to figure out what our plan is." The subsidy's end will force both sales and leases to succeed without government support. Here’s every EV for sale in US right now.

"Jurassic World Rebirth" dominated the July Fourth weekend box office with $147.3 million domestically and $318.3 million globally. The seventh franchise installment stars Scarlett Johansson leading a team extracting dinosaur DNA for miracle medicine. The Steven Spielberg-produced film represents a strong showing for the 32-year-old franchise's latest iteration.

The success continues Hollywood's summer comeback following disastrous early 2025 releases like "Snow White" and "Mickey 17." Previous hits including "A Minecraft Movie," "How to Train Your Dragon," and "Lilo & Stitch" launched the turnaround. The film outperformed Apple's "F1" starring Brad Pitt, which has earned $293.6 million worldwide after two weeks in theaters (BTS F1 Feature).

Box office revenues are up 15% year-to-date compared to 2024, though still down 26% from pre-pandemic 2019 levels, Comscore reported. Hollywood hopes upcoming franchise releases "Superman" and "Smurfs," both debuting in July, will maintain the positive momentum. Universal executives praised the film's balanced demographic and geographic appeal across all age groups. Total box office numbers for 2025 here.

The State Department launched an online passport renewal system that has revolutionized the decades-old paper-based process. The digital platform allows Americans to submit applications, upload photos, and pay fees entirely online without visiting post offices. Nearly half of all U.S. passport renewals now use the streamlined system, which has been available for less than a year.

The traditional passport renewal process remained largely unchanged for 50 years (see more), requiring paper forms, printed photos, and physical mail submissions. Led by Luis Coronado and Matt Pierce from the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the modernization team developed a user-friendly platform that processes applications in approximately 15 minutes. The system has already handled over three million renewals.

Government surveys show 94% user satisfaction with the online renewal service, matching approval ratings typically reserved for highly popular services. Processing times have improved significantly, with many applications completed within two weeks rather than four-to-six weeks. See the 3,000-year history of passports, here.

Harrington Emerson's framework: Master core principles first, then methods become self-evident choices rather than overwhelming options.

Industrial engineer Harrington Emerson revolutionized early 20th-century manufacturing by studying why most efficiency experts failed despite having access to identical techniques. Most professionals collect endless methods and tools while remaining paralyzed by choice, mistaking tactical knowledge for strategic wisdom.

The breakthrough: Emerson discovered that successful decision-makers operate from 3-5 core principles that automatically filter which methods to apply in any situation.

Why this matters: Most people accumulate methods hoping quantity will solve complexity, but Emerson's principle-driven approach eliminates decision fatigue entirely. "The person who grasps principles can successfully select their own methods. The person who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble," he observed. Hat tip to James Clear for this quote.

Discover your core driving force through relentless self-inquiry. When you feel drawn to any activity, career path, or goal, ask yourself "why does this matter to me?" then ask "why" to each subsequent answer seven times in succession. Most people stop at surface motivations like money or recognition, but your seventh "why" reveals your deepest existential drivers, such as helping businesses → connecting people → reducing loneliness → healing childhood wounds → creating belonging → honoring human dignity → expressing divine love. When you know your seventh why, every decision becomes crystal clear. Take 5-10 minutes to pursue this exercise here.

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