Does This Look Like FSD to You? | Tesla Time News 640

This episode delivers a fast-paced roundup of Tesla and SpaceX developments, while pushing back against what the hosts see as sensationalized media narratives. The centerpiece is a fatal Katy, Texas Tesla crash: despite claims that Full Self-Driving was engaged, Tesla FSD lead Ashok Elluswamy clarified that the driver manually floored the accelerator, reaching 73 mph and holding it after impact, pointing to human error rather than autonomous system failure. The show also spotlights progress on a Tesla Semi with FSD validation hardware, Cybercab safety features like curb-side butterfly doors, and the Vegas Loop’s newly approved UNLV station. On the SpaceX side, highlights include the Starfall capsule test mission, a planned natural gas pipeline to Starbase, and the arrival of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at Kennedy Space Center ahead of its Falcon Heavy launch. The episode then shifts to political commentary, defending DOGE’s USAID audit standards against claims it caused mass deaths, mocking hyperbolic headlines, and highlighting Elon Musk’s criticism of a congressman’s insider-trading-like stock gains. Overall, the hosts blend genuine enthusiasm for engineering milestones with sharp skepticism toward media exaggeration and political attacks on Musk.

• ▶ 0:40 Federal regulators opened a formal investigation into a fatal Katy, Texas crash involving a Tesla Model 3, with the driver claiming Tesla’s automated driving assistance was engaged.
• ▶ 1:43 The hosts argue the Ring doorbell footage shows a high-speed, out-of-control crash that does not match typical FSD behavior, sarcastically dismissing the media narrative.
• ▶ 3:09 Tesla FSD lead Ashok Elluswamy clarified the driver manually pressed the accelerator 100% to the floor, reaching 73 mph, and kept it pressed even after impact—indicating driver error, not an autonomous system failure.
• ▶ 5:21 Tesla Semi with FSD validation rig spotted in Sunnyvale, CA, hinting at progress toward autonomous trucking.
• ▶ 5:43 Cyber Cab safety design highlighted: bench seat with no middle obstruction and upward-opening butterfly doors allow safe curb-side entry/exit, avoiding traffic-side risks.
• ▶ 6:56 Boring Company's Vegas Loop gets UNLV station approval (50-year agreement), with 25% student and 10% faculty/staff fare discounts.
• ▶ 8:14 SpaceX launched the Starfall demo mission to test a new return capsule for bringing small payloads back from orbit, with the capsule expected to land in the Pacific Ocean.
• ▶ 8:34 SpaceX plans to build a natural gas pipeline ("Star Pipe") to Starbase, replacing trucked-in methane, with construction starting July 7th and fueling expected by late January 2027.
• ▶ 9:32 The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrived at Kennedy Space Center aboard the Pegasus barge, set to launch on a Falcon Heavy on August 30th to study dark energy, exoplanets, and cosmic evolution.
• ▶ 10:51 Patreon bonus stories are available, with support starting at "as little as a buck a month."
• ▶ 10:57 Patreon supporters can enter a giveaway for a hitch-mounted bike rack.
• ▶ 11:06 The bike rack fits any car with a 2-inch hitch, including a Model Y.
• ▶ 11:09 Jesse and Zac transition into the shout outs, describing supporters as "the people that keep us going."
• ▶ 11:14 Patrons including Bill Lewis, Doc Sneer, Joseph Hinkle, Rick Lambiasi, and Vishnu Singh are acknowledged by name.
• ▶ 11:17 The hosts sincerely thank the supporters, emphasizing the show cannot continue without them.
• ▶ 11:32 Musk clarified his "You're dead, Europe" comment was taken out of context; his real point was that Europe must develop reusable rockets or become irrelevant in space.
• ▶ 11:49 The hosts ground the debate with the key stat that SpaceX already launches 85% of all mass to orbit.
• ▶ 12:03 SpaceX received the lowest ESG rating from MSCI because rockets burn fossil fuels, prompting Musk's sarcastic retort that "electric rockets are impossible."
• ▶ 12:08 Hosts cover breaking news of right-wing candidate Abdullah Espriella winning Colombia's presidential election, noting Elon Musk's dismissive reaction: "Cool, cool."
• ▶ 12:17 Elon Musk predicts AI will exceed the sum of all human intelligence within four to five years, prompting hosts to sarcastically mock the idea of still studying for tests.
• ▶ 12:22 Hosts discuss the claim that left-wing governments haven't won a single Latin American election since USAID was defunded, quoting Elon Musk’s reaction.
• ▶ 12:32 They mock the name “USAID,” noting it reads as “US Aid” and sounds harmless, while actually covering covert operations and influencing elections.
• ▶ 13:08 The bit wraps up with jokes that the acronym was deliberately chosen to look benign and hide its true purpose.

• ▶ 13:23 A New York Post headline claims Elon Musk "needs to answer for 4.5 million kids sentenced to death over Doge cuts," which the hosts immediately challenge as unbelievable.

• ▶ 13:41 The hosts note the numbers keep escalating—"It was 100,000 last week, so it's probably going to be 10 million next week"—and say they've seen no actual evidence.

• ▶ 13:50 Elon responds with "time to sue this liar," while a post compares the USAID death toll claims to "literally another holocaust"; Elon defends DOGE's standard of requiring contact info for aid recipients to confirm it's not fraudulent.

• ▶ 14:23 The speaker sarcastically paraphrases the claim that people "were starving to death" the moment funding ends, framing it as an absurdly instant reaction.
• ▶ 14:28 They mock the idea that cut-off funding would trigger immediate panic, including being unable to "call the number" for help.
• ▶ 14:31 The punchline ridicules the narrative as exaggerated: "and then you die instantly," reducing the policy argument to a cartoonish scare tactic.
• ▶ 14:34 Congressman Row is highlighted as the number one stock trader in Congress.
• ▶ 14:37 Row reported 4,300 trades in the past year, totaling $59 million in trade volume.
• ▶ 14:41 Row recently purchased a $9.5 million home in the DC area.
• ▶ 14:41 Congressman Row bought a $9.5 million DC-area home, prompting Elon Musk to call him "the robber" and say he should be in prison.
• ▶ 14:49 Row's net worth has surged in eight years because his congressional access to secret meetings reveals which stocks will rise—more valuable than a Wall Street career.
• ▶ 15:16 Congress members can legally profit from insider trading, since Congress passed a law allowing this for themselves.
• ▶ 15:22 Mike Ben argues cutting USAID saved 4.5 million kids’ lives by stopping USAID-funded civil wars.
• ▶ 15:34 Ann rejects the child-death claim, citing an inverse correlation between USAID funding and malaria deaths to argue cuts would save lives.
• ▶ 15:55 Elon Musk calls the claim “a total lie,” saying DOGE only required contact with aid recipients and that USAID officials pled guilty to stealing money.
• ▶ 16:13 Keir Starmer has resigned as UK Prime Minister, which the hosts frame as another Elon Musk prediction come true.
• ▶ 16:25 Elon Musk has sued German state television for "extreme lies" and reportedly scored a quick legal win alongside his German attorney.
• ▶ 16:32 The hosts strongly endorse the lawsuit, saying suing lying politicians and government institutions is "a service to humanity."
• ▶ 16:44 Hosts rapidly run through a long global list of newly opened and expanded Supercharger stations, citing station numbers and stall counts across the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Australia.
• ▶ 18:23 They hit key cumulative milestones: China reaches site #2,776, California #669, the U.S. #3,138, and worldwide #8,750.
• ▶ 18:35 They joke about the sheer volume of Superchargers, thank viewers, and direct them to Patreon for giveaways and bonus stories.

• ▶ 0:00 Intro and Tesla FSD Crash Coverage (0:00 - 3:46) - Hosts introduce the show and discuss a Tesla crash report, FSD blame, and media coverage.
• ▶ 3:47 Snack Ad, Tesla, and Boring Company Updates (3:47 - 8:12) - A sponsored chip ad gives way to Tesla Semi, Cyber Cab, and Vegas Loop news.
• ▶ 8:14 SpaceX and Starbase News (8:14 - 10:48) - Starfall, a natural gas pipeline, the Roman telescope, and Starbase council updates.
• ▶ 10:51 Patreon, Elon News, and Politics (10:51 - 16:39) - Patreon plugs and shoutouts lead into Elon predictions, USAID, Doge, and legal news.
• ▶ 16:42 Supercharger Roundup and Closing (16:42 - 18:44) - New Supercharger openings and rankings wrap up the episode.