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Big Snack Attack: Hungry Wild Elephant Raids Thailand Grocery Store (Maria)

The author writes, “A hungry wild elephant caused havoc in a grocery store in Thailand on Monday when he strolled in from a nearby national park and helped himself to food from the shelves. Videos of the incident showed the huge male elephant, known as Plai Biang Lek, briefly stopping in front of the shop next to a main road near the Khao Yai National Park in northeastern Thailand, before ducking inside. The elephant stopped in front of the shop’s counter, calmly snatching and chomping snacks. He later backed out of the shop holding a bag of snacks with his trunk.”

Kristi Noem Said an Immigrant Threatened To Kill Trump. The Story Quickly Fell Apart (Reader Steve)

The authors write, “A claim by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that an immigrant threatened the life of President Donald Trump has begun to unravel. Noem announced an arrest of a 54-year-old man who was living in the US illegally, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would then return to Mexico. The story received a flood of media attention and was highlighted by the White House and Trump’s allies. But investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the US before he got a chance to testify in a trial as a victim of assault, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.”

How Six Months in the West Bank Undid a Lifetime of Zionist Indoctrination (Siobhán)

From +972 Magazine: “Like many American Jews, I was brought up to see Israel as infallible. Living among Palestinians taught me vital truths about the reality of the occupation.”

CDC Steps Up Measles Travel Warning After Spread in Airplane (Sean)

From CBS News: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its warning about the risk of contracting measles while traveling, after the agency tallied dozens of cases so far this year in travelers who were infectious while flying on airplanes within the US. ‘Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events,’ the agency now says, in an update published Wednesday. Since the beginning of the year, the CDC has received at least 62 reports of travelers who were contagious with the highly transmissible virus while flying into the US or within the country, a spokesperson for the health agency told CBS News in a statement.”

These Researchers Think the Sludge in Your Home May Help Save the Planet (DonkeyHotey)

From NPR: “There are places where the Earth’s inner rumblings burble to the surface — like Iron Spring, located just outside the bustling town of Manitou Springs in central Colorado. Every few seconds, a burst of water surges out of a narrow pipe, splashing into a concrete basin that’s partly dyed a bright orange. ‘Whenever I see that color, I look very carefully because sometimes it’s not chemistry that’s forming that rust. It’s biology — an entire world of unexplored and undiscovered microbes,’ says James Henriksen, an environmental microbiologist at Colorado State University. … This uncanny ability of microbes ‘to survive and thrive in these unusual places,’ says Henriksen, got him wondering whether these miniscule organisms may hold the solutions to some of humanity’s biggest problems.”

Defying DeSantis, Florida Pride Marchers Light Up Jacksonville Bridge with Rainbow Colors (Dana)

The author writes, “Last year, when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a ban on the cherished tradition of lighting up Florida bridges in rainbow colors for Pride, queer activists brought flashlights and did it themselves. This year, as the hordes of rally-goers approached the Main Street Bridge in Jacksonville, flashlights in tow, the drawbridge began to rise—with no warning and no boats approaching, organizers told Erin in the Morning. The bridge stayed upright until the marchers turned around and left, but they didn’t go home. Instead, organizers pivoted and walked to the nearby Acosta Bridge, which is contiguous. There, they celebrated Pride with the full spectrum of the rainbow — showing they didn’t need permission from the state for queer visibility.”