Power Outages Hit France As It Records Hottest Day On Record

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Power Outages Hit France As It Records Hottest Day on Record (Maria)

The author writes, “France has recorded its hottest day since records began in 1947, its national weather agency says, breaking a record set Tuesday as an early summer heatwave grips western Europe. … More than half the country remains under a red heat alert with tens of thousands of homes in the west lost power. The temperature in Paris and many other areas broke 104F Wednesday.”

Texas Anti-ICE Protesters Convicted of Terrorism Charges Sentenced to at Least 50 Years in Prison (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “A group of Texas protesters convicted of terrorism charges received unusually harsh sentences of at least 50 years in prison on Tuesday in a closely watched case that was widely seen as a test case of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on dissent. After a three-week jury trial, the nine activists were all found guilty of a slew of criminal charges in March, stemming from a Fourth of July protest at an immigrant detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, south of Fort Worth. The demonstrators arrived late at night with a plan to set off fireworks as part of a noise demonstration to show solidarity with those detained inside. A few of the protesters spontaneously broke off from the main group and vandalized cars in the parking lot, a guard shack, slashed the tires on a government van and broke a security camera. When a police officer arrived on the scene and drew his weapon, one of the activists fired an AR-15 from the woods, hitting the officer in the shoulder. The officer survived.”

Madison Square Garden Made Dossier on Activists Who Opposed Facial Recognition (Sean)

From 404 Media: “Madison Square Garden compiled a list of activists who have publicly criticized the venue’s use of facial recognition technology, putting their tweets and comments into a document that was then accessible to other people inside the company, 404 Media has found. The news shows that MSG, operated by Jim Dolan who has garnered a reputation for being pernicious against his perceived enemies, is not only deploying controversial facial recognition technology but keeping track of specific people who take issue with it. The document was included in a 45GB cache of data hackers stole from MSG and posted online this month.”

A Court Found Conditions at Louisiana’s Prison Farm Unconstitutional. It Let Them Continue Anyway (Reader Steve)

From The Appeal: “Last month, a federal judge found that prisoners at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, better known as Angola, are forced to pick crops and dig ditches in sweltering heat, in conditions that are so dangerous that they violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Nonetheless, he wrote that a recent decision by the notoriously conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals tied his hands—prison officials could continue to force men to work in the fields without taking any additional steps to protect their health and safety. On the grounds of a former slave plantation, incarcerated workers, the majority of whom are Black, toil in scorching hot fields for hours under the watchful eyes of armed guards. Refusal to work, or not working fast enough, can result in disciplinary charges and solitary confinement.”

New Brain Study Reveals Speech Learning Works Differently Than We Thought (Mili)

The author writes, “A new study suggests that learning and remembering speech relies more on how the brain processes sounds and sensations than on the areas that control mouth and face movements. The discovery could reshape speech therapy and help improve future brain-based communication technologies.:

A Greek Temple Sank Into a Swamp 2,500 Years Ago. Scientists Think They Found It (Dana)

From Popular Mechanics: “Poseidon was once thought to rule over not only the seas with his trident, but also streams, rivers, lakes, fountains, and marshes. Temples to Poseidon were built at the water’s edge. The Sanctuary of Poseidon at Samikon was one of those temples, but it sank into a swamp, seemingly never to resurface. The temple never vanished from literature, though. … Long after the swamp had dried up, researchers brought the remains of the temple to light. Its foundations showed it was rectangular, measuring about 92 feet by 33 feet, and was apparently a dual temple whose two main rooms were entered through a vestibule, or pronaos, and backed by what was interpreted to be a rear hall. This ground plan is unlike that of any other Greek temple. It is possible that the two main rooms were dedicated to Poseidon and another deity.”