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Does Swearing Make You Stronger? Science Says Yes. (Maria)
The author writes, “If you’re human, you’ve probably hollered a curse word or two after banking your shin on a table edge or hitting your thumb with a hammer. Perhaps you’ve noticed that this seems to lessen your pain. There’s a growing body of scientific evidence that this is indeed the case. … Cursing can also improve physical strength and endurance, according to a new paper published in the journal American Psychologist.”
How Trump’s Tech Advisers Overcame a MAGA Rebellion Over AI (Russ)
From The Washington Post: “President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting states’ power to regulate AI split his supporters and highlighted Silicon Valley’s growing influence over his agenda.”
White House Installs Plaques Mocking Former Presidents (Dana)
The authors write, “The White House has installed plaques on the exterior of the building bashing President Donald Trump’s predecessors, including Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, and promoting disinformation about their administrations. … The one placed under the portrait of the ‘Autopen,’ which stands in for President Joe Biden’s portrait, refers to him as ‘Sleepy Joe Biden’ and calls him ‘the worst President in American History.’ … White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News in a statement that Trump wrote the text of ‘many’ of the plaques.”
Remaking Globalization for an Era of Trade Wars (Sean)
From Jacobin: “Few economists have had a greater impact on the way we talk about global trade and China’s role in the world economy than Michael Pettis. He spoke to Jacobin about Donald Trump’s tariffs and why inequality is at the heart of the trade war.”
Pesticide Drift Is Catching Schools Off Guard. Lawmakers Want To Require Notice Before Spraying. (Laura)
From Investigate Midwest: “More than 700 Illinois schools are within a quarter-mile of crop fields, yet state law doesn’t require pesticide applicators to notify them before spraying. Advocates say a new notification proposal would give educators and park staff time to move children indoors and reduce exposure.”
Before Megalodon, Researchers Say a Monstrous Shark Ruled Ancient Australian Seas (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “In the age of dinosaurs — before whales, great whites or the bus-sized megalodon — a monstrous shark prowled the waters off what’s now northern Australia, among the sea monsters of the Cretaceous period. Researchers studying huge vertebrae discovered on a beach near the city of Darwin say the creature is now the earliest known mega-predator of the modern shark lineage, living 15 million years earlier than enormous sharks found before.”
