NASA cancels today's "mega-moon" rocket launch due to an engine problem. / NPR

The project's conception and execution are said to be "a near-perfect example of pork-barrel politics." / The Economist

Related: How to eat desert like an Apollo 11 astronaut. / Atlas Obscura

Scientists create a new Covid-19 therapeutic that works like a nasal spray for allergies. / Berkeley News

Many Americans used to admire the UK's National Health Service, "but right now the whole system is ailing." / Bloomberg

Mexico's Maya Train, expected to be nearly 1,000-miles long, is barreling toward disaster. / The New York Times

California's energy may soon come from a billionaire's massive wind farm in Wyoming. / The Los Angeles Times

"Valley fever," derived from a fungus that lives in the Southwest's soil, is on the rise as the climate crisis dries out the landscape. / The Guardian

Research suggests we may be able to clean up coal waste and extract elements needed to power green technologies at the same time. / The New Yorker

Notes from a weekend in the woods of Southern California with crypto kids. And a visit to L.A.'s first "crypto bar." / Elle, Dirt

A high school in Illinois hosts a "Moms Night" where mothers suit up in football pads and tackle their sons. And humans in France pretend to be sheep. / Twitter

What to expect from Serena Williams at (possibly) her final major tournament. "She is keeping control where she can." / Slate

A variety of New Yorkers describe what Serena meant to them. / The New York Times

See also: Fan letters to rock bands left behind in a St. Louis club. / Creem