Listen To This Story

Earth’s Largest Waterfall Is Hidden Deep in the Ocean (Maria) 

The author writes, “Niagara Falls pulls in tourists by the boatload. Angel Falls towers higher than city skyscrapers. Yet both pale in comparison to Earth’s largest waterfall — an enormous, rushing torrent concealed below Arctic waves. The Denmark Strait cataract drops in slow motion beneath the chilly surface between Iceland and Greenland. The chute begins thousands of feet down, rolls over a hidden ledge, and keeps sliding for 11,500 feet — more than twice the cruising altitude of a commercial jet. No roar reaches the surface…ships glide on as if nothing remarkable lies below these crucial Arctic waters, which drive Earth’s climate.”

Detained Immigrants at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Say There Are Worms in Food and Wastewater on the Floor (Reader Steve) 

From AP News: “Insider accounts in interviews with The Associated Press paint a picture of the place as unsanitary and lacking in adequate medical care, pushing some into a state of extreme distress. ‘The conditions in which we are living are inhuman,’ a Venezuelan detainee said by phone from the facility. ‘My main concern is the psychological pressure they are putting on people to sign their self-deportation.’ The man, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, characterized the cells as ‘zoo cages’ with eight beds each, teeming with mosquitoes, crickets and frogs. He said they are locked up 24 hours a day with no windows and no way to know the time. Detainees’ wrists and ankles are cuffed every time they go to see an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, accompanied by two guards who hold their arms and a third who follows behind, he said.”

Is the US Military Poised to Experience a New Surge in Conscientious Objectors? (Dana) 

The author writes, “‘I wanted to protect people. I wanted to serve,’ said Metzler, who met her husband, now an officer in the Space Force, at the academy.  ‘And I don’t think it’s a far cry to say that I’m the kind of person who doesn’t mind putting my body on the line for things I believe in. So the military really just kind of made sense.’ Then, a crisis of conscience changed everything. Shaken by the United States’ support for Israel’s protracted bombing campaign on Gaza, Metzler took the dramatic step of applying for conscientious objector status, a way out of the military reserved for those who can prove that their beliefs no longer align with service. For her, an eight-month application process involving probing interviews and pages of essays resulted in her successful discharge as a conscientious objector in April.”

Metadata Shows the FBI’s ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified (Sean) 

From WIRED: “Metadata embedded in the video and analyzed by WIRED and independent video forensics experts shows that rather than being a direct export from the prison’s surveillance system, the footage was modified, likely using the professional editing tool Adobe Premiere Pro. The file appears to have been assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJ’s website, where it was presented as ‘raw’ footage. Experts caution that it’s unclear what exactly was changed, and that the metadata does not prove deceptive manipulation. The video may have simply been processed for public release using available software, with no modifications beyond stitching together two clips. But the absence of a clear explanation for the processing of the file using professional editing software complicates the Justice Department’s narrative.”

The US Sends Lots of Plastic Trash Overseas. Malaysia Just Said No Thanks (Laura) 

The author writes, “Malaysia, which received more discarded plastic from rich nations than any other developing country last year, effectively banned all shipments of plastic waste from the United States. That might not seem like a big deal. But the United States has increasingly relied on countries like Malaysia to deal with plastic trash. American scrap brokers sent more than 35,000 tons of plastic waste to Malaysia last year, according to trade data analyzed by the Basel Action Network, a nonprofit group that tracks plastic waste issues. Last year, after seizing more than 100 shipping containers of hazardous materials sent from Los Angeles that had been improperly labeled as raw materials, the Malaysian environment minister, Nik Nazmi, told reporters that ‘we do not want Malaysia to be the world’s rubbish bin.’”

Florida Cat Sniffs Out Another New Virus — and Scientists Are Listening (Mili) 

From ScienceDaily: “A cat named Pepper has once again helped scientists discover a new virus — this time a mysterious orthoreovirus found in a shrew. Researchers from the University of Florida, including virologist John Lednicky, identified this strain during unrelated testing and published its genome. Although once thought to be harmless, these viruses are increasingly linked to serious diseases in humans and animals. With previous discoveries also pointing to a pattern of viral emergence in wildlife, scientists stress the need for more surveillance — and Pepper remains an unlikely but reliable viral scout.”