How Much Sunshine Do We Really Need?

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How Much Sunshine Do We Really Need? (Maria)

The author writes, “The evidence linking excessive sun exposure with skin cancer risk still holds up today. But in recent years, moderate sun exposure — limited bursts of exposure in the middle of the day — has been found to benefit our mental health, vitamin D levels and immune system. Studies also show it reduces the risk of certain cancers, boosts cardiovascular health and improves cognition and sleep. How can we reap the benefits while avoiding the dangers?”

It’s Scary as Hell Being Black in America Right Now (Laura)

From The Intercept: “There is a tangible heat to being Black in America this summer. Every morning starts the same. A jolt of coffee and nicotine as my thumbs scroll a daily intake of Black death and indignity. It mostly comes dosed in tears. Tears of Black moms and aunties, projected behind stone-faced fathers and grandpops trying to hold it together behind press podiums. This summer, it was Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old who disappeared during a trip to Mississippi’s Horn Island over the Fourth of July.” 

Freedom Fuel, Praised by Trump, Sells Cheap Gasoline. But How? (Russ)

The authors write, “As a steady stream of drivers pulled into the Freedom Fuel Network’s gas station on Roosevelt Boulevard this week, some pumps still had signs saying ‘Red Lion,’ the station’s brand as recently as last Friday. Other pumps were freshly pasted with Freedom Fuel’s fierce-eagle logo. But what drivers mainly noticed were the prices: 10 to 20 cents per gallon below other stations. ‘It’s awesome,’ said Edwin Torres, 29, who works for a rental car company and often stops by to fill up the fleet. ‘It’s to the point where 20 cents does go a long way.’ The Roosevelt Boulevard station is one of four new locations announced this week by the Freedom Fuel Network, an expansion that deepens the mystery around a company that has revealed little about itself publicly while drawing praise from the White House for its discount gas.”

Federal Communications Commission Scraps Limit on Broadcast TV Ownership (Dana)

The author writes, “The Federal Communications Commission, the government agency that regulates the broadcast airwaves, voted Thursday to eliminate a cap on the share of U.S. television households a single company can reach, a major move that could pave the way for more corporate consolidation in the media industry. In a 2-1 vote, the FCC repealed a 22-year-old rule holding that a company cannot own stations that reach more than a combined 39% of the U.S. television audience. The ownership limit will be replaced by a case-by-case approach.”

Seattle Council Bars Homeowner Solicitations To Fight Displacement (Reader Steve)

From The Seattle Times: “Seattle homeowners will soon have the power to stop unwelcome purchase offers on their homes, part of an effort to prevent harassment and exploitation by speculators looking to buy houses at below-market prices. City lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday from Councilmember Dionne Foster that will create a voluntary ‘do not solicit’ list for homeowners, which Foster said will help fight displacement of homeowners who are most vulnerable to losing their home and whatever generational wealth they’ve accumulated in their property.”

Quantum Computers Promise Mathematical Superpowers (Sean)

From The Economist: “As they zip across the internet, passwords, bank transfers, emails and the like are protected from prying eyes by encryption. But no one is quite sure how reliable the technology is. Despite decades of trying, no-one has found a feasible way to break it. But at the same time, no-one has been able to prove such a method does not exist. In principle, a mathematician could have a brainwave tomorrow and bring the entire edifice of e-commerce — not to mention personal privacy — crashing down.”