Costa Rica consistently gets more than 99 percent of its electricity from renewables—and "it's still not enough." / The Verge An orange haze descends over Athens as dust clouds blow in from the Sahara. / BBC News Los Angeles earns its 25th-straight F for air quality.
Global defense spending grew 7% to a record $2.4 trillion in 2023, the fastest annual rise since 2009. / Reuters Related: "We now risk entering a pre-war era that consolidates the battle lines of conflict globally." / Noema In Myanmar, a new generation joins the rebels who'
Scientists have developed an RNA-based vaccine that targets all strains of a virus, potentially eliminating the need for chasing influenza strains every year. / UC Riverside As the WHO raises concerns about bird flu's potential to spread among humans, H5N1 has now been detected in raw milk from
Patagonia faces an existential crisis as it tries to navigate ways to curb the microplastic epidemic while producing apparel that contributes to the epidemic. / InsideHook "He showed [sharks] were able to 'habituate' to both visual and auditory stimuli and to the presence of humans. And they make
The limited nature of Israel's counterattack on Iran suggests both sides want to avoid escalation. / The New York Times [+] Most of the US military aid approved for Ukraine is being spent in the US—and specifically in these congressional districts. / The Washington Post [+] Tracking AI-generated election content
The amount of homicides in major American cities is falling at its quickest rate in decades. / axios Mass shootings in the United States are said to be down 30% from this time last year. / X Funding for US-based "creator" startups more than doubled in the first three
Photographs from four days in a Ukrainian trench with soldiers from an international legion. / The New York Times [+] "Be honest and vulnerable." Activists explain how they keep calm in a world full of crises. / Goats and Soda Spencer Ackerman: A world with exceptions to international law is one
In China, companies making fentanyl precursors and analogues can apply for state tax rebates. / NPR Nearly 200 American colleges and universities hold contracts with Chinese businesses, valued at $2.32 billion. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Argentina experiences a 2,153% increase in Dengue fever cases. / The Guardian From February, some
Following Israel's thwarting of Iran's aerial attack, world leaders urge Netanyahu not to retaliate, and Biden says the US won't support an Israeli counterattack. / AP, Axios A mission to capture space junk has now rendezvoused with a second-stage rocket that's been
Following Israel's attack on Iran's consulate in Syria, Iranian forces have seized an "Israeli-linked" container ship near the Strait of Hormuz. / Al Jazeera See also: "The conventional wisdom in Washington and elsewhere has often held that Iran has become contained, even isolated.
