Extra, Extra
Race to Racism: Federal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional districts that could help Republicans. “A three-judge panel in the state’s long-running redistricting case issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the state from switching maps, ruling that the Republican-backed plan ‘intentionally discriminated based on race.'” (Of course, that’s precisely what the Supreme Court just allowed, so one imagines they’ll chime in soon, with the midterms quickly approaching.)
+ Let’s Not Keep This on the (L)DL: “In a small, preliminary study, an experimental gene-editing treatment dramatically lowered cholesterol levels, perhaps permanently, after just one infusion, scientists reported on Monday. If confirmed in larger studies, researchers hope the findings may lead to a one-and-done way to prevent heart disease in large numbers of people.” Gina Kolata in the NYT (Gift Article): One-and-Done Heart Disease Prevention? Scientists Show It May Be Possible.
+ Command Performance: “The 42 swimming, track and weightlifting athletes who competed Sunday may have come to Las Vegas to chase personal records and millions in prize money, but the organizers of the Enhanced Games had greater ambitions than merely launching a new sports franchise. They sought to use the event to de-stigmatize the use of performance-enhancing substances and to entice consumers to buy them.” Enhanced Games got its ‘world record,’ but felt more like a glorified infomercial.
+ Here So Soon? “The U.K. smashed a century-old temperature record for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday as a spring heat wave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe, triggering government warnings about risks to life. Several drownings were reported in Britain and France as people tried to cool down.” The heatwaves are coming early this year. Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe.
+ Backseat Drivers: “I don’t have to talk to another human being … I get in a car, and I’m just alone.” Blind Waymo Users Revel in the Joy of Riding Alone.
+ Curb Enthusiasm: “I am drawn there by a pair of parallel curbs that were designed to corral shopping carts. Unbeknown to shoppers on their way to rotisserie chicken and pallets of toilet paper, the curbs are world famous. Their image has been reproduced on stickers, T-shirts and skateboard graphics. Pilgrims fly across the country and from Europe to skate them, sometimes taking dimensions so they can mold replicas back home.” Conor Dougherty: What I Learned About Loss While Skateboarding at Costco.
