Barack here, we need your help
Maps from satellite imagery show how record heat and drought are depleting Europe’s rivers, threatening regional economies and energy production. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
“With 20 minutes and enough rifles,” it would only take knocking out nine substations on three electric grids to plunge America into darkness. / The New York Times [$]
If one-tenth of California’s EV owners agreed to send energy back to the grid, they could provide a third of the state’s energy storage. / Grist
Congressional lawyers say AI slop is regularly showing up in draft legislation in the form of hallucinated statutes and legal definitions, clogging up the legislative process. / Politico
Democrats are following Republicans’ fundraising playbook and spamming older voters—and yes, it’s scammy, but it’s also unsustainable beyond an election cycle or two. / On Data and Democracy
Margo’s Got Money Troubles inspires a group of scientists to post photos of marmots on OnlyFans to help raise funds for their marmot-based research. / The Guardian
According to law enforcement, a major appeal of those shock gloves that ICE wants is they don’t leave the obvious physical damage that can lead to lawsuits. / Mother Jones
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“If Thoreau were alive today, he might say that China has industrialized quiet desperation.” Chinese youth are flocking to Walden and the lessons of economic resistance. / Literary Hub
You’re paying for the ads Amazon runs to show you things it knows you want to purchase, because that cost is now built into the product you’re buying. / Seth’s Blog
A decade after declaring bankruptcy, Columbia House, home of the “eight CDs for a penny” business model, is no more. / Consequence
Unrelated: An explanation of bitrates and why a complicated scene on a 4K stream can’t compete in visual quality with a 4K Blu-ray. / Engadget
Our current proteinmaxxing era has an especially American history, from a Protestant belief of food as virtue to a business-friendly approach to nutrition labeling. / The Nation
Some wellness communities are touting tadalafil—aka Cialis—as a supplement for longevity and general well-being based on the drug’s cardiovascular effects. / NPR
New research linking occupations to causes of death finds pilots and flight attendants, who are frequently exposed to cosmic radiation, have a higher risk of dying from cancer. / Gizmodo
An awe-inspiring obituary for Zale Parry, the “depth-defying scuba diver and underwater stuntwoman whose reverence for the oceanic world was deepened by tripping out on LSD.” / The New York Times [$]