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Marine Magic: Injured Comb Jellies Can Fuse Into a Single Organism (Maria)
The author writes, “Comb jellies, technically known as ctenophores, are one of the weirdest creatures on Earth. They appeared in the seas over half a billion years ago and have maintained to the present day the comb-like rows of cilia they used to move around. Their transparent bodies and internal bioluminescence give them looks that rival gaming computers. But there’s something that makes them even weirder. When a comb jelly is injured … it can also attach a body part of another injured comb jelly and integrate it near-seamlessly into its own body.”
Potential Trump Loss Threatens Destruction of Modern GOP (Sean)
The author writes, “An identity crisis. A brutal power struggle. Years in the wilderness. If Donald Trump is defeated in next month’s election, the Republican Party will face a reckoning unprecedented in modern political history. Why it matters: Never before has a party’s identity been so deeply entwined with the fate, fortunes and flaws of one man. Four consecutive poor election cycles would unleash a wave of sustained scrutiny that the GOP — as it currently exists — may not survive.”
A Pair of Billionaire Preachers Built the Most Powerful Political Machine in Texas. That’s Just the Start. (Dana)
From ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine: “Oil tycoons Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks have pushed the Texas statehouse to the far right by funding relentless primary campaigns against other Republicans.”
The Pig Butchering Invasion Has Begun (Reader Jim)
From Wired: “More than 200,000 people in Southeast Asia have been forced to run online scams in recent years, often being enslaved and brutalized, as part of criminal enterprises that have netted billions in stolen funds. Such ‘pig butchering’ operations have largely been concentrated in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, typically rooted in Chinese organized crime groups exploiting instability and poor governance in the region. Though they come at great humanitarian cost, pig butchering scams are undeniably lucrative and, perhaps inevitably, similar operations are now being uncovered on multiple continents and in numerous countries around the world.”
California Law Bans College Legacy and Donor Admissions, Including At USC, Stanford (Reader Steve)
From the Los Angeles Times: “A new law banning legacy and donor admissions at private California universities, including USC and Stanford — among the handful of schools that admit a significant number of children of alumni or donors — was signed [last week] by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said the action will promote equal educational opportunities. ‘In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work,’ Newsom said in a statement.”
Firefly Species May Blink Out as US Seeks to List It as Endangered for First Time (Laura)
The author writes, “The US government is seeking to consider a firefly species as endangered for the first time, according to a proposal from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Bethany Beach firefly, found in coastal Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, is facing increasing dangers to its natural habitat because of climate change-related events. They include sea level rise, which is predicted to affect all sites within the known distribution by the end of the century, and the lowering of groundwater aquifers. The species is already considered extremely rare and in decline.”
Most Powerful Solar Flare in 7 Years Blasts Earth (Sean)
The author writes, “The Sun just unleashed the most powerful flare we’ve seen in seven years. On October 3, a flare measured at a strength of X9.0 exploded right in the middle of the solar disk. Even more excitingly, it was accompanied by what is known as a halo coronal mass ejection — one that is ejected straight at Earth. It’s the second X-class flare of October 2024, both emitted from the same active sunspot region, and the most powerful since September 2017, when the Sun unleashed a ripper, later determined to clock in at X11.88.”
