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How Many Giraffe Species Live in Africa? New Scientific Analysis Quadruples Count (Maria) 

The author writes, “With their long necks and distinctive spots, giraffes are a majestic sight in Africa. Now it turns out there are four giraffe species on the continent, according to a new scientific analysis released Thursday. Researchers previously considered all giraffes across Africa a single species…Naming different giraffe species matters because each species has different populations, threats and conservation needs, the study’s lead researcher explained.”

PragerU Wants to Propagandize to Your Kids (Sean) 

From Jacobin: “Oklahoma just announced a new fifty-question assessment model for teachers designed to ‘[keep] away woke indoctrinators’ from the state’s schools. That test — which includes questions related to ‘undoing the damage of gender ideology’ — was developed by Prager University, a right-wing, pro-capitalist propaganda machine that aspires to become a force in American education. Now after investing in expensive extracurriculars with Donald Trump and Big Tech, the operation is poised to fill the Sesame Street–sized supplemental-education hole left by the recent defunding of the Public Broadcasting Service.”

IDF Database Suggests 83% of Gaza Dead Were Civilians (Dana) 

The author writes, “Figures obtained from the classified database — which records the deaths of militants from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) — contradict by a huge margin the public statements of Israeli army and government officials throughout the war, which have generally claimed a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of civilian to militant casualties. Instead, the classified data backs up the findings of several studies suggesting Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed civilians at a rate with few parallels in modern warfare.”

Judge Blocks Trump From Cutting Funding From 34 Cities and Counties Over ‘Sanctuary’ Policies (Reader Steve) 

From AP News: “A judge ruled late Friday the Trump administration cannot deny funding to Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and 30 other cities and counties because of policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts. US District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from cutting off or conditioning the use of federal funds for so-called ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions. His earlier order protected more than a dozen other cities and counties, including San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.”

Texas Redistricting Fight Shakes up Battle Lines for Both Parties in Key US Senate Race (DonkeyHotey) 

The author writes, “In what would typically be a quiet period in Texas politics, Republicans have roiled the state’s 2026 Senate campaign with their rush to redraw congressional maps to give Trump more allies in Congress. The turmoil impacts contenders in both parties and gives Democrats fresh hope that they can capture a long-elusive seat, where an upset would dramatically improve their chances of regaining Senate control in Washington.”

Could Legal Personhood Help the Great Barrier Reef? (Laura) 

From The Guardian: “Around the world, rivers, forests and mountains have been recognised as legal entities under a growing legal movement known as the ‘rights of nature.’ In the case of the Great Barrier Reef, the rights of nature model could recognise the world’s largest coral system as a legal person: an entity capable of holding rights and having those rights defended in court.”