Smile it won’t hurt

Spotted lanternflies, the "Labor Day pest," seem like a plague to some residents of New York City and Pittsburgh. / MSNBC

Invasive hornets are "wreaking havoc" in mainland Europe. / BBC News

Blending the two: German director Werner Herzog pays tribute to a family that adopted him (in Pittsburgh). / The New Yorker

The United States has gotten very good at drilling since the 2000s, and now those skills are being applied to novel geothermal projects. / The New York Times

Studies estimate that biofuels have increased emissions, not decreased them. / Sustainability by numbers

Geoff Mann: It's​ easy to forget that this isn't the first time the world has seemed to teeter on a precipice. / The London Review of Books

By the end of last year, 101 CEOs of S&P 500 companies had held their jobs for more than a decade, up from 36 10 years earlier. / The Economist

A study finds San Francisco workers have the country's most expensive commute ($12,650). / SFGate

The phrase "home blocked" refers to Gen Z-ers feeling thwarted in sex because they live at home with their parents. / The New York Post

Sticking out your tongue while working with your hands "reveals a history of evolutionary relationships." / Quanta magazine

Highlights from an annual gathering of bicycle builders. / The Radavist

AI is being used for cultural preservation in the Western Himalayas. (It's also being used to make boring fashion magazines.) / Medium, Copy Mag

Unrelated: Paying tribute to large buildings that contain holes. / misfits' architecture

Since Taylor Swift isn't taking her "Eras" tour to the Philippines, a local drag performer is recreating the experience for enormous crowds. / Vulture


🪴  Hello, Tuesday! If you appreciate this newsletter, please support it by becoming a Sustaining Member or making a one-time donation. Have a great week.

✔️  Got a correction or a link we should consider? Email us or just reply to this newsletter.

Your headlines are sourced and composed by Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack, Monday through Saturday. View this edition and the latest headlines at TMN.