Extra, Extra
Aftershocks: “A 21-year-old man was pulled from rubble in La Guaira state after being trapped for 106 hours.” There are still a few miracles coming out of Venezuela, but mostly it’s grief for the victims and the missing, and a building anger toward the government. Here’s the last from BBC and The Guardian. And here is a collection of photos. Rescue and Recovery in Venezuela.
+ Driving Wedge: “It is rare that a single scientific paper shapes how people think about a challenge as daunting as climate change. But one, known as ‘Wedges,’ published 22 years ago by researchers at Princeton University, told an irresistible story. It made solving climate change seem possible, even simple.” But here’s the rub. The study was funded by BP. ProPublica: How Oil Execs Shaped a Landmark Climate Study.
+ Hit the Pine, Meet: “President Donald Trump said the Islamic Republic had requested a meeting with U.S. counterparts and that they planned to convene Tuesday in Doha, Qatar … Tehran insisted it has not agreed to meet with the U.S.” And we don’t know who to believe. AP: US and Iran pause strikes but disagree over next steps on talks.
+ Buttigieg Case: “You’ve probably heard of ‘swatting.’ It’s a cruel and dangerous kind of hoax that has started happening more frequently in recent years … Now imagine the same concept, but with Child Protective Services instead of a SWAT team. Hadn’t thought of that? Me neither, until a few days ago when a police officer and a CPS worker showed up at our home and politely asked to speak with me.” Pete Buttigieg: A Terrible Thing Happened to My Family. This is truly crazy. And NYT (Gift Article): “The former transportation secretary recounted being kept away from his 4-year-old twins overnight after an anonymous report accused him of posing a threat to them.”
+ We Had 250 Years to Prepare! “Propaganda has a way of being blissfully unconcerned with material reality, and the state fair is no exception. When I arrived Thursday morning, workers were still assembling fencing, and I spotted bits of metal on the floor in Kentucky. North Carolina had no power. At one point in the afternoon, the ‘Faith & Family’ pavilion—where the booths included the Museum of the Bible, Hillsdale College, and an evangelical-Christian stall labeled The Great Awakening—was entirely in the dark.” The Great American State Fair Isn’t Very Great. (It’s also basically empty…)
+ Puttz: “Interviews with 19 sources reveal two incidents of lewd language and unwanted advances, and the behavior that led to his departure from two additional golf clubs.” Phil Mickelson’s Long History of Misconduct.
+ A Little Bird Told Me: “A scientist who decoded the vocalizations that a bird uses to communicate has won a $100,000 prize for making progress towards a world in which humans can talk to the animals.”
