They Tried to Stop Him

A 22-year-old inventor turns plastic trash into clean fuel, and suddenly finds himself up against powerful forces that don’t want his discovery to live.

Author

Dale Harris
October 07, 2025

“The decision of all decisions” — LeBron James teases a social media post meant to evoke James’ original 2010 decision… is the King retiring?

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Good morning, BFA Fam! Headline: Deion Sanders confessed his leg is “hurting like crazy,” fearing more blood clots after Colorado’s recent loss. The Hall of Famer, who’s overcome cancer and amputations, says he’s struggling to get blood to his legs, so keep Coach Prime in your prayers.

MAIN STORY

🔥 Meet the Kid Fighting a Trillion-Dollar Industry with Nothing But a Dream and a Garage

⚡ THE SPARK

A 22-year-old kid from Georgia just built what billion-dollar labs couldn’t.

Julian Brown didn’t wait for permission. He took plastic trash, the same stuff choking oceans and crowding landfills, and turned it into clean fuel that can power real cars. He calls it Plastoline, and it’s already running engines. No Silicon Valley funding. No fancy lab. Just curiosity, grit, and solar-powered microwaves in a garage.

While everyone else complained about pollution, he did something about it. That’s not rebellion, that’s leadership.

🧠 THE LAYER BELOW

  • Innovation isn’t about access; it’s about audacity.

  • You don’t need a billion dollars to change the world, just the belief that you can.

  • Real genius looks like turning waste into value, not waiting for validation.

  • A new generation isn’t asking for seats at the table; we’re building our own labs.

  • Every problem is an opportunity disguised as chaos.

  • The future doesn’t belong to the most connected, it belongs to the most committed.

  • Julian didn’t find the solution in textbooks; he found it in persistence.

🎯 THE REAL QUESTION

What if the next global breakthrough doesn’t come from power & privilege but from ordinary people who refuse to stay ordinary?

🔮 WHAT’S NEXT

Julian Brown represents something bigger than invention, he represents a mindset shift. The kind that says, I’ll figure it out myself. The kind that reminds us the next revolution won’t be corporate, it’ll be creative.

If one young mind can turn plastic into power, what’s stopping the rest of us from transforming our own raw materials, our pain, our ideas, our potential, into energy that fuels something greater?

The future isn’t waiting on permission. It’s waiting on people like him.

Because real power isn’t found, it’s built. One idea, one spark, one fearless creator at a time.

CAST YOUR VOTE

What’s stopping most people from innovating?

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Thanks to changing laws buying THC online is now 100% federally legal.

And when it comes to quality, reliability and ultimate convenience, Mood is leading the way…

Because, instead of memorizing confusing strain names – you simply choose how you want to feel: Creative, Social, Focused, Relaxed, Happy, Aroused, and more.

📕 13 Spine-Chilling Thrillers by Black Authors That’ll Keep You Up All Night

😤 Trump Targets Al Sharpton, Urges FCC Probe in Latest Free Speech Clash

📱Apple Pulls ICEBlock App After DOJ Pressure: Crowdsourced Immigration Tracker Reached 1 Million Users Before Ban

🧬 Scientists Discover Autism Isn’t One Disorder: Early and Late Diagnoses Show Different Genetic Roots

🩸New Blood Test Can Spot Head and Neck Cancer a Decade Before Symptoms Appear

🩶 Love by Algorithm: How AI Wingmen Are Changing the Dating Game — and Blurring the Lines of Authenticity

📉 White House Warns of Mass Layoffs as Government Shutdown Deepens: Trump Blames Democrats for the Standoff

📰 Supreme Court Rejects Ghislaine Maxwell Appeal, Keeping Epstein Files Out of Public View

🕊️Ike Turner Jr., Grammy-Winning Musician and Son of Ike and Tina Turner, Dead at 67

THE FLIP SIDE

🫨 Illinois and Chicago Sue Trump Over “Unlawful Invasion” After National Guard Sent Into the City. In a fiery legal showdown, Illinois and Chicago just hit the Trump administration with a major lawsuit over the surprise deployment of National Guard troops. The state’s governor, JB Pritzker, blasted the move as an “invasion,” accusing Trump of using federal forces to target Democrat-led cities amid anti-ICE protests. The lawsuit calls the troop deployment “illegal and dangerous,” demanding a full halt to what officials say is a politically motivated power grab. (CNN)

🎙️ Melyssa Ford Quietly Exits “Joe Budden Podcast” — Fans Catch the Clues on Instagram. Melyssa Ford may be officially done with The Joe Budden Podcast. After months of tension and fewer appearances, fans noticed Ford’s Instagram bio no longer mentions the show — instead promoting her own project, Hot N Bothered. Her absence hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially with new co-host Mona filling her seat. Joe Budden has stayed silent, but the internet’s already calling it: Ford’s soft launch into solo podcasting just became a hard exit. (Hot New Hip Hop)

🎥 Dwayne Johnson Reacts to Career-Worst Box Office: “You Can’t Control Results”. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is staying positive after The Smashing Machine debuted to just $5.9 million, the lowest opening of his career. Despite the flop, Johnson praised director Benny Safdie, calling the film life-changing and saying, “You can’t control box office results, only your performance.” The A24 drama, where he plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr, earned critical praise and festival buzz, keeping Johnson in the Oscar race despite the rough start. (Variety)

6️⃣7️⃣Teachers Crack Down on ‘6-7’ TikTok Trend Taking Over Classrooms. The viral “6-7” TikTok trend, sparked by rapper Skrilla’s Doot Doot—has swept through middle schools, with students shouting the phrase and mimicking its hand gesture mid-class. Teachers are fed up, with some banning it outright or requiring 67-word essays as punishment. The craze even ropes in NBA star LaMelo Ball, whose 6’7” height fuels the meme’s popularity. While some educators fight it, others are embracing the chaos, turning “6-7” into classroom singalongs. (Axios)

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Power Book IV: Force | Season 3 Official Trailer

The streets of Chicago are about to erupt. Starz just dropped the trailer for Power Book IV: Force Season 3, the show’s last ride, and it’s pure chaos. Tommy Egan is back, solo, savage, and setting buildings on fire while dodging Feds, rivals, and betrayal. With old enemies, new bodies, and nonstop shootouts, fans can expect nothing but blood, revenge, and power plays when the series returns November 7.

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