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Orcas Seen Grooming Each Other With Kelp In First For Marine Tool Use (Maria)
The author writes, “Killer whales have been observed grooming each other with a type of seaweed, the first known instance of a marine animal using tools in a way that was previously thought to be the preserve of primates. A group of killer whales — also known as orcas — have been biting off short sections of bull kelp and then rolling these stems between their bodies, possibly to remove dead skin or parasites. The behavior [of Pacific Ocean orcas off the coast of Washington State] is the first such documented mutual grooming in marine animals and is outlined in a new scientific paper.”
Federal Agents Thought They Could Stay at LA-Area Hotels. Communities Are Trying to Make Sure They Can’t (Russ)
From the Los Angeles Public Press: “The group that had gathered wanted to drive out the federal agents.The protest resulted in immigration enforcement vehicles driving out of the hotel that evening to the cheers of protesters yelling “fuera ICE.” The protest outside the AC Hotel to drive out ICE is likely the first of its kind and has opened a new front of resistance against the immigration raids that have roiled LA County since June 6. People now frequently turn out in the evenings at hotels where ICE agents are believed to be staying, to bang on pots and pans and play sounds on bullhorns to prevent the agents from having a good night’s sleep. They also hope that the disruption will put pressure on hotel management to turn immigration officials away.”
Trump’s Move Against Iran May Draw More Criticism From MAGA’s Anti-Interventionists (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “The lead-up to the move against Iranian nuclear sites had exposed fissures within Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ base as some of that movement’s most vocal leaders, with large followings of their own, expressed deep concern about the prospect of US involvement in the Israel-Iran war. With the president barred from seeking a third term, what remains unknown is how long-lasting the schism could be for Trump and his current priorities, as well as the overall future of his ‘America First’ movement.”
Trump Judge Gave Jew-Hating Neo-Nazi Coveted Academic Prize (Sean)
From The Daily Beast: “Before his suspension, Damsky had written a paper for one of his legal seminars in which he argued ‘We the People’ in the Constitution should be understood as referring solely to white people, that voting rights ought to be revoked for non-whites, and that shoot-to-kill orders should be issued for ‘criminal infiltrators at the border.’ John L. Badalamenti, a sitting federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump, taught the class for which Damsky wrote that report. Badalamenti granted Damsky a ‘book award,’ reserved for the seminar’s top student.”
Trump’s New Tech Friends Can’t Stop Embarrassing Themselves (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “This weekend’s military exercise, then, may just be the latest illustration of how poorly Silicon Valley executives’ supplication to Trump has been working out for them. Elon Musk is out, and Tesla’s reputation has been tarnished. Meta’s Bosworth may now be enlisted in the Army, but the Big Tech giant is locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration’s Federal Trade Commission — a longtime case that Mark Zuckerberg explicitly tried to get Trump to drop. Google is still battling regulators over antitrust concerns. Apple hasn’t been able to sidestep Trump’s hypertargeted tariffs threats. Microsoft is losing foreign clients over its ties to Trump. But these companies are no longer even pretending to care about the everyday consumer. For them, getting in good with Trump and earning some favors in the process is the single best business decision they can make — at least until Americans’ growing anger with the Trump regime boils over and targets them too.”
Ancient ‘Dragon Man’ DNA Reveals Mysterious Human Relative (Dana)
From Euronews: “Analysis confirmed the skull belongs to the Denisovans, an extinct species of archaic human beings found across Asia. The species was first identified in 2010 thanks to DNA tests on small, fossilized bone fragments, but no complete Denisovan skull had ever been found. The new discovery will make it easier for experts to identify further Denisovan fossils and see the species finally assigned a scientific name. The new research might also give clues regarding the species’ appearance.”
