Extra, Extra
Suddenly, This Summer: “New precedents have been set in recent weeks and months, surprising some scientists with their swift evolution: historically warm oceans, with North Atlantic temperatures already nearing their typical annual peak; unparalleled low sea ice levels around Antarctica, where global warming impacts had, until now, been slower to appear; and the planet experiencing its warmest June ever charted … And then, on Monday, came Earth’s hottest day in at least 125,000 years. Tuesday was hotter.” WaPo: Why a sudden surge of broken heat records is scaring scientists. This reminds me of a Hemingway quote, ironically from The Sun Also Rises: “How did you go bankrupt? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”
+ Author Killed: “Amelina died in a hospital from injuries sustained in the June 27 strike on a popular restaurant frequently visited by journalists and aid workers in the city of Kramatorsk. Twelve other people also lost their lives in the attack.” Ukrainians honor award-winning writer killed in Russian missile attack on restaurant. “Before she was killed by a Russian missile strike, the acclaimed novelist and war crimes researcher wrote about growing up in Moscow’s shadow, and how she came to understand what being Ukrainian really meant.” Victoria Amelina: Ukraine and the meaning of home. (Her killing is a story about the meaning of unlawful invasions by genocidal maniacs.) Speaking of murderers, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin – who led a short-lived rebellion in Russia last month – is in Russia and not Belarus.
+ Control Walt Delete: Walt Nauta, aide to Donald Trump, pleads not guilty in classified documents case. (Dude, seriously, take a deal.)
+ GQ Anon: GQ posted a negative article about top Warner Bro David Zaslav. When he complained, editors there acquiesced. Drew Magary: David Zaslav kills everything he touches, including GQ. And now there’s this detail: GQ Editor Who Pulled Critical David Zaslav Story Is Producing Movie for Warner Bros. Whoops.
+ Speech Impediment: “District Court Judge Terry Doughty, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday that bars several federal departments and agencies from various interactions with social media companies.” The ruling basically suggests that you can’t fight real misinformation because it might impact imagined free speech issues. It’s nuts. U.S. is barred from combating disinformation on social media. Here’s what it means.
+ West Bank: WaPo has a pretty good overview of Israel’s latest incursion into the West Bank. What is happening in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, and why now? But way too many articles on this topic are totally ignoring the backdrop for everything going on in Israel right now: Internal politics and the massive and endless protests.
+ Breaking Away: “Many e-bikes and e-scooters are perfectly safe, but bad batteries (and other bad hardware, such as chargers) at risk of igniting are making their way into some products. Policy makers are working on the issue, but no solution will arrive overnight.” E-bikes Are Going to Keep Exploding.
+ Bean Counters: Inflation means having to pay for your coffee on your birthday. Companies rein in customer rewards programs.
