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Today’s Pulse rundown
Lebanon Death Penalty
Transcript: What if a country decided to completely change its most serious rules? Lebanon's parliament voted to abolish the death penalty. A majority of members in the 128-seat parliament backed the measure on Tuesday. This would make Lebanon the first country in the Middle East to formally end it. What this means for you: The new legislation replaces the old punishment with life imprisonment. Rights groups like the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights campaigned for nearly three decades to make this happen. Co-founder Oragit Younan says we cannot solve a crime with a crime. How do you think laws will change next?
Sierra Leone Chimps
Transcript: Imagine helping to rescue hundreds of wild animals over your lifetime! In Sierra Leone, Willie Tucker helped establish the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary back in 1995. Today, the sanctuary houses more than 120 critically endangered western chimpanzees. The sanctuary also supports nearby communities with livestock and seed programs. This helps because families with more dependable sources of food and income may have less need to exploit wildlife habitat. When people have what they need, the forest stays safe for the animals. If you could run an animal sanctuary, what species would you protect?
Universe Map
Transcript: Get this — you can now look at the largest two-dimensional map of the universe ever made! Astronomers released a massive new map charting nearly four billion stars and galaxies. A team of 20 astronomers produced the final dataset released today, combining telescope exposures from three ground-based sky surveys. What this means for you: The map covers roughly 75 percent of the sky and is publicly viewable through the Legacy Survey Sky Viewer. Dr. Arjun Dey from the National Science Foundation says the skies belong to everyone, giving people a chance to marvel at their wonders. What do you think is hiding in space?
Kid Museum Curator
Transcript: Have you ever found something so cool in your yard that you started a museum? Eleven-year-old Anderson Taylor won a Guinness World Record for being the youngest male curator of a museum! He opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum in Illinois when he was nine years and 340 days old. What this means for you: You do not have to wait until you grow up to share your passions. Anderson started collecting fossils at three years old, and now his museum has around 13 displays. He even gives presentations to local school groups about the natural world. If you opened a museum, what would you display?
Threads VR App
Transcript: What if you could step inside your favorite social media app? Meta launched a native Threads app for its Meta Quest virtual reality headsets on Tuesday. The platform recently crossed 500 million monthly active users. What this means for you: Instead of just looking at a phone screen, users can browse feeds, make posts, and watch videos while wearing a headset. Meta says this dedicated app is designed to make using virtual reality more social, letting friends keep up with conversations during games. Would you rather scroll on a phone or inside a virtual world?
Tarantula Nebula
Transcript: How do you take a picture of a giant cloud of space dust? NASA combined data from three space telescopes to create a vibrant new image of the Tarantula Nebula. It is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, about 160,000 light-years from Earth. Scientists noticed the nebula is losing energy. This happens because hot gas leaks through the shell walls and conducts heat through direct physical contact with cooler material. Picture a hot frying pan touching a cold burner, causing the temperatures to equalize. Next time you look at the stars, remember how much invisible energy is moving around!
Planet Money Game
Transcript: Did you know a board game about monsters can teach you how money works? The podcast Planet Money partnered with Exploding Kittens to create a new board game in the United States called Sell Me A Sasquatch. It is inspired by a 1970 economics paper by George Akerlof. The game teaches players about hidden information. In real life, bad products can drive good ones out of the market because buyers demand markdowns when they cannot tell the quality. This causes owners of good items to keep them instead of selling. What is your absolute favorite board game to play with friends?
Zelda Remake
Transcript: Are you ready to return to one of the most famous digital kingdoms ever built? Nintendo confirmed it is remaking The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo Switch 2! The game will arrive in 2026 to mark the franchise's 40th anniversary. What this means for you: The original 1998 game completely changed how 3D adventure games were played. Now, a whole new generation will get to experience Link's journey with overhauled graphics. The trailer even showed the Triforce glowing on Link's left hand during a nightmare. If you could remake any classic video game, which one would you choose?
NCT 127 Piñata
Transcript: What does it take to kick off a brand new musical chapter? The K-pop group NCT 127 released an energetic new music video for their track Piñata on Tuesday. It gives fans a taste of their upcoming seventh studio album, which drops on August 24. What this means for you: The group is currently performing as a five-member team, and they are headlining KCON LA on Friday. Member Mark says that when picking out songs for their previous album, WALK, they had to be very prudent with every decision. What is the first song you would put on a party playlist?
California Housing
Transcript: Why is it so hard to find an affordable place to live in some cities? California cities are struggling to meet state housing targets. The state wants to build 2.5 million units over eight years, but only 32 jurisdictions are on track for their very low-income targets. What this means for you: Even when a city plans for new neighborhoods, actually building them is complicated. Department spokesperson Jennifer Hanson says whether a project moves forward depends on interest rates, construction costs, and land prices. This makes it tough for developers to build affordable homes. How would you design a neighborhood to fit more people comfortably?