Oh hey can you breathe
We’ll be off tomorrow for the Fourth of July, and we’ll see you on Monday!
Federal models show President Trump’s planned record-breaking fireworks show on the Fourth of July will cause dangerous air pollution, and people should “expect irritation symptoms.” / The Washington Post [$]
Watch: That time in 2012 when an entire fireworks display went off all at once. / YouTube
“Is this what Parisians felt when the Eiffel Tower’s 10,000 gas lights lit up in 1889?” The future of fireworks is drones. / WIRED [$]
While Wall Street has always priced in disaster risks, prediction markets are causing fire-prone areas to fear arson. / High Country News
Amid dangerous heat waves, authorities abruptly removed water fountains from a popular trail near Hattiesburg, Miss., then stoked fears of homeless activity to justify the decision. / Mississippi Free Press
The White House is reviving the Presidential Fitness Test, but while promoting more exercise is good, the test is only a measurement, and many associate it with public humiliation. / ABC News
In a poll of which politicians Americans find the most likable, the winners are all Democrats, as long as they’re not Hakeem Jeffries or Chuck Schumer. / The New Republic
Once Trump is gone, federal institutions may one day need to erase his name from prominence—14th-century Venice did it by making a disgraced leader’s erasure a lasting reminder. / Minnesota Star-Tribune
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“It’s a scavenger and fish robber, but we aren’t perfect ourselves.” What is the most American animal? / CNN [$]
Unrelated: Previously, scientists estimated there were around six million insect species on Earth, but a new study shows it may be as much as five times that. / BBC News
Scientists have created a synthetic cell that can grow, replicate its genome, and divide—though one journal reviewer rejected the work, saying it’s not actual biology. / Science
Even as companies pressure their employees to use AI, some are throttling their workers’ access because the tokens are too expensive. / 404 Media
A viral story claiming dozens of Alabama newspapers had shuttered in fact appears to be AI slop from a site whose “politics” section is packed with pro-China posts. / Nieman Lab
Michael Erard on the history of scratching messages on ammunition—e.g., Ancient Greek sling bullets with messages such as “eat this,” “seize this,” and “ouch.” / ARC
True-crime fans are going to love this: The botched train robbery that changed forensic science. / Alta
McLaren’s new supercar has geolocked features that only unlock when the car is off public roads. / Financial Times