Extreme Heat Isn’t the Only Climate Impact Shocking Scientists

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Extreme Heat Isn’t the Only Climate Impact Shocking Scientists (Maria)

The author writes, “Much of the US just sweltered through the July 4 holiday weekend as an intense heat dome bore down, straining power grids and causing event cancellations. Washington, DC saw a high of 102 degrees on Saturday, a record for the date. In Europe, punishing temperatures are set to return. … These heat jumps are part of a larger shift of climate change that seems to be accelerating. While scientists have long braced for climate change, the growing severity is shocking them.”

America at 250: The Best & Worst of Everything, Turned Up to 11 (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “If you’re not feeling terribly patriotic this year, I understand. I won’t be asking you for any celebration of the nation in this present incarnation. But please remember; it has, in fact, been worse. ‘All men are created equal’ was essentially branding for one of the largest slave societies in the world. You can feel every kind of moral outrage over this current corrupt cabal of grifters, or the unjust rulings of this aristocratic master-race Supreme Court, and still believe the United States matters because of our people, our constitutional traditions, our great contributions, and our ongoing and quite handy capacity for self-correction. American history has always contained overlapping periods of deep injustice, fear, and deeply stupid men in power hurting large numbers of people. I ask you to just consider that this is a louder version of everything America’s always been. You know the story of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, right?”

Drones Manufactured in Brooklyn Are Being Used to Bomb Gazans (Sean)

From The Nation: “Documents released during a criminal trial against pro-Palestine activists in June revealed that Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems, is purchasing drones produced by Easy Aerial, a company headquartered on New York City–owned land. The documents provide the most tangible evidence linking Elbit Systems to Easy Aerial—a revelation that organizers say illustrates the reach of the international weapons supply chain into our back yards.”

The Kids Aren’t Alright With MAGA (Laura)

The author writes, “In new data released this week from the Ronald Reagan Institute, there are very clear warnings that the kids aren’t alright with MAGA. In fact, two-fifths of GOP voters under 30 do not align with Trump’s quest to Make America Great Again, or at least not in his paradigm. Beyond Trump himself, that should be a sign to Republicans looking downfield for their next plays — especially those who are already jockeying to follow him as President come early 2029. (Yes, the shadow campaign has already begun.) Among all Republicans in the Reagan survey, 25% said they were not part of MAGA. For those under 30, that number hits 39%. That’s a bloc that cannot be ignored in a coalition holding together with little margin for error.”

What’s Fueling the Far-Left Surge? ‘Democrats Themselves Hate the Party’ (Reader Steve)

From The Seattle Times: “To Seattleites, the civil war erupting among national Democrats is not exactly breaking news. Seattle has been ground zero for the rise of the far left, from democratic socialists to the pure thing, for years now. But what’s bubbling up in primary elections around the country has taken the upheaval in the party to a new level. It’s becoming like the Democrats’ version of the tea party movement, which upended the GOP more than a decade ago. … Three congressional Democratic incumbents have lost to democratic socialist upstarts in just the past few weeks. In those primaries, which took place in New York, Maryland and Colorado, 12 Democratic state legislators also lost their seats to challengers from the left.”

The Nationwide Resistance Against Flock Surveillance Cameras Is Gaining Steam (Reader Jim)

From Truthout: “Resistance is mounting across the United States against the increasing use of surveillance tech company Flock Safety’s cameras, with a growing number of cities canceling contracts as the artificial intelligence-powered license plate readers are quietly being installed in thousands of locations nationwide. State and local police departments first used the Atlanta-based company’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems for standard law enforcement purposes, but they are now being employed for a much broader range of uses, including immigration-related searches and other actions supporting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the Trump administration’s deadly anti-immigrant crackdown.”

Australian Officials Ask Fans To Respect the Privacy of Neil, a Trouble-Making Seal (Dana)

The author writes, “Like plenty of local boys before him, Neil has come home to the stretch of Australian coast where he was born. Unlike most of them, he trails fame, fans and property damage in his wake. He is also a 1,000 kg (2,200 pound) elephant seal. In June, the bellowing and blubbery 5-year-old mammal hauled himself onto land for his twice-yearly tour of beachside towns in southern Tasmania state after months of feeding at sea. That’s posing problems now that he weighs as much as a small car and has a social media following more than double Tasmania’s human population.”