Hilary brings historic flooding to Southern California—here are photos and videos of the devastation. It's the first tropical storm to hit the area since 1939. / Axios, Digg, The New York Times

See also: Why the US was unprepared for this summer's extreme heat. / POLITICO

Russia's first lunar mission since 1976, the pilotless Luna-25 spacecraft, crashed into the moon after moving into an "unpredictable orbit." / AP

See also: Like Luna-25, India's Chandrayaan-3 targets the moon's south pole, where ice—and thus water—could facilitate long-term human habitation. / Slate

"Space is harsh beyond any earthly comparison, and it will be constantly trying to kill you." Should we colonize other planets? / The Guardian

In a federal ruling denying copyright to AI-generated artwork, the decision came down to contradictions over whether the machine or its owner created the art. / Rolling Stone

A future where AI chatbots of deceased humans abound comes at a cost to the living, since the technology requires vast amounts of energy. / WIRED

"Opting out of law enforcement searches doesn't guarantee that a profile won't be accessed." The messy intersection of forensic genealogy and commercial DNA databases. / The Intercept

A tour of the month-long exhibition of reimagined moments at the National Mall in Washington, DC. / Hyperallergic

"There was a casino open all hours of the day, a casino you could get to from your own couch." Elizabeth Lopatto on the pandemic crypto boom. / The Verge

Recollecting music labels' "Home Taping Is Killing Music" campaign—and its many, many parodies. / Open Culture

"I also followed the auction for a truckload of women's designer shoes: a little more than four tons of returns." Inside the new, and very weird, industry of online returns. / The New Yorker