Good morning. This is 1% Better. Unbiased news and practical life advice that makes you a little better every day.

Today we're covering Newsom’s border patrol confrontation, how “clippers” are taking over social media, and ways to avoid the fear-mongering food machine.

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Bipartisan lawmakers plan to force a vote requiring the administration to release withheld Jeffrey Epstein files when Congress returns in September. Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna scheduled a September 3rd press conference with abuse survivors to promote their legislation.

The Department of Justice released a memo last month refuting conspiracy theories, stating Epstein had no "client list" and died by suicide in 2019. The memo angered Trump supporters who expected file releases to be a priority.

House Rules Committee proceedings stalled in July over Democratic efforts to force Epstein votes. Speaker Mike Johnson faces renewed pressure while managing government funding deadlines and avoiding an October 1st shutdown.

The Epstein files timeline.

Border Patrol officers gathered outside California Governor Gavin Newsom's redistricting campaign launch Thursday in Los Angeles. Among them was Gregory Bovino, head of the El Centro sector, who told reporters "We're here making Los Angeles a safer place, since we don't have politicians that'll do that."

Newsom's office posted footage of the masked, armed agents on social media with the caption "WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!" Bovino's sector has aggressively promoted anti-immigrant policies and operates under a court injunction blocking indiscriminate arrests based on appearance or location.

The confrontation occurred as Newsom promoted his "Election Rigging Response Act" to counter Republican redistricting efforts. The incident highlights tensions between federal immigration enforcement and state Democratic leadership over border policies and political redistricting battles.

Newsom v. Trump trial info here.

Companies are hiring "clippers" to flood TikTok and Instagram with short promotional videos from longer content like podcasts. Kanoah Cunningham, who runs a team of eight clippers, earns $30,000 monthly after quitting his finance job in May (WSJ).

Startups including AI company Cluely, robot maker 1X, and electronics firm Nothing pay clippers 50 cents to $2 per thousand views. Online marketplaces connect brands with freelancers who create bite-sized viral content from hourlong material.

The strategy helps creators bypass traditional social media algorithms by saturating platforms with multiple clips. One company spends $15,000 monthly on clippers while allocating $250,000 for Google and Meta advertising. See clipping details here.

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After analyzing 2,612 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience, we discovered the most frequently mentioned books that keep coming up in conversations with guests ranging from scientists to comedians to bestselling authors.

These aren't just casual mentions—these are the books that Rogan (and company) actively recommends and references again and again, such as:

Whether you're looking to expand your reading list or understand the ideas driving today's most important conversations, these books offer a direct window into the topics and thinking that fascinate millions of listeners.

Ready to dive deeper? Get the complete list of all 25 most-mentioned books from The Joe Rogan Experience—absolutely free.

Get your list of the top 25 books right here.

Your genes haven't changed in 10,000 years, but your diet has. Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint reveals the mismatch causing modern health problems.

What to Eat:

What to Avoid: Grains and sugar trigger inflammation and fat storage. These foods didn't exist for 99.5% of human history.

Beyond Diet:

The result? Natural weight loss, stable energy, and disease prevention through genetic alignment. Your ancestors thrived for millennia. Their blueprint still works.

Get The Primal Blueprint here (one of the Top 25 most mentioned books on Joe Rogan’s podcast).

Health influencers profit from your paranoia. Dr. Jessica Knurick warns that social media algorithms now demonize apples, beans, even water for lacking electrolytes. Every food becomes dangerous when fear drives clicks. The result? People afraid to eat perfectly healthy foods while supplement companies cash in on manufactured anxiety. Trust science, not algorithms.

See the quote here. Podcast here.

> US alcohol consumption hits record low as only 54% of adults drink, Gallup poll shows (More). | Canada’s booze boycott (WSJ).

> Apple restores blood oxygen feature to US watches via software update after government approval (More).

> Trump signs Social Security proclamation celebrating 90th anniversary while touting $6,000 senior tax deduction (More).

> Rivian faces $100 million revenue hole after White House stops issuing fuel economy compliance letters (WSJ).

> Wholesale prices surge 0.9% in July far exceeding 0.2% forecast in biggest jump since 2022 (More).

How a midlife crisis can be inspiring.

Big screen television ad from 1983.

Secret observation posts from WWI.

The main reason to pet your dog before you leave.

Martial artist shares fight de-escalation tips.