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A Parade of Planets Is Marching Through the Night Sky (Maria)
The author writes, “Astute skywatchers may have already seen the striking line of planets across the night sky in January. This week Mercury joins the queue. Now every other world in our solar system will be visible among the stars at the same time — if you know where to look. According to Gerard van Belle, director of science at Lowell Observatory in Arizona, an alignment of seven planets is neither mystical nor particularly rare. … Still, he said, the planetary parade, as the event is colloquially called, ‘makes for a very nice excuse to go outside at night, maybe with a glass of wine, and enjoy the night sky.’”
ICE’s Next Deportation Target Is Unaccompanied Migrant Children (Sean)
The author writes, “The Trump administration is ordering immigration agents to find and deport thousands of undocumented immigrant children who came to the U.S. without their parents, Reuters reported, citing an internal government memo. The memo, titled ‘Unaccompanied Alien Children Joint Initiative Field Implementation,’ stated that children would be deported if they have existing deportation orders or served with a notice to appear in immigration court. Children labeled as ‘flight risks,’ such as immigrants who failed to appear at a hearing, are to be prioritized. The remaining minors are prioritized as ‘public safety’ or ‘border security.’ This is a severe departure from ICE’s usual prioritization targeting adults with criminal records for deportation action.”
The Christian Nationalist Plot to Disenfranchise Women Voters (Dana)
From The New Republic: “The proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, now considered a priority for Republicans in the House, will make it harder, if not practically impossible, for millions of women to vote. The SAVE Act would require documentation, such as a passport or birth certificate matching your current legal name to allow a person to register to vote. These requirements would pose a challenge to broad swaths of the country, but would fall especially hard on women.”
Idaho Town Hall Meeting Turns Chaotic After Woman Forcibly Removed for Shouting at Speakers (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “The men worked for the private security company LEAR Asset Management, based in Hayden, Idaho. Messages left for CEO Paul Trouette were not immediately returned. The men appeared to have violated Coeur d’Alene City ordinances, which require security personnel to wear uniforms with the word ‘Security’ clearly marked ‘in letters no less than 1-inch tall on the front of the uniform.’”
AI Power Needs Threaten Billions in Damages for US Households (Sean)
From Bloomberg: “The AI boom has only underscored the issue: The digital economy is sucking up so much power that demand is now straining available supplies of electricity in many parts of the world, leading to concerns over price increases and even widespread outages. And that’s only projected to worsen as more data centers are built. It’s an issue that goes beyond just whether or not there’s enough power to flip the lights on. Distortions mean that even as electricity is flowing to homes, the quality can be eroded enough to destroy appliances and increase vulnerability to electrical fires if there’s a voltage surge.”
Federal Workers Launch a New Site to Share Inside Information About DOGE (Dana)
The author writes, “The website is aimed at informing the general public about what’s happening inside federal agencies, as well as explaining how a database being accessed by DOGE in Washington, DC could impact citizens in tangible ways all across the country. ‘I want to make sure that people understand that data matters,’ says the former federal worker, who was granted anonymity for fear of retribution and harassment in going public, but whose identity has been confirmed by The Verge. ‘If I can explain that in a way that helps you to be able to protect yourself and advocate for yourself, then I’m doing my job.’”
