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Réunion Island Becomes Hub of Shark Attack Science After Deadly Attacks (Maria) 

The author writes, “The shark attack on the French island of Réunion was seen as unusual. But it turned out to be the beginning of what became known as ‘la crise requins’ — the shark crisis. Over the next 8 years, sharks attacked 30 people around the island, killing 11…In an effort to understand the attacks and prevent them, the French government poured millions of euros into studying shark ecology and behavior, plus technologies to deter attacks. Réunion soon became a major center for shark attack research, rivaling long-established programs in Australia and South Africa.”

ICE Given Access to Medicaid Data in Move Critics Call a Privacy Betrayal (Sean) 

From The Guardian: “Medicaid officials have reportedly made an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to allow agents to examine a database of Americans’ personal information — including home addresses, social security numbers, and ethnicities. The data sharing agreement will allow ICE to find ‘the location of aliens,’ according to an agreement obtained by the Associated Press. Medicaid is the nation’s single largest health insurer, providing coverage for 79 million low-income, disabled and elderly people.”

Transgender Bathroom Bill Added to Texas Flood-Relief Special Session (Dana) 

The author writes, “When Gov. Greg Abbott initially called for a special session in June, it was to tackle six bills he had vetoed during the regular session, among them a contentious measure that would have banned hemp products containing THC. But after flash floods overwhelmed parts of central Texas on July 4 — resulting in at least 120 deaths with many more still missing — the intended focus shifted to flood relief. However, when the governor’s 18-point agenda was released last week, it included far more than flood-related measures. In addition to considering bills that would restrict hemp products, Abbott has also asked lawmakers to consider legislation ‘further protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion’ and legislation ‘protecting women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.’”

ICE Lawyers Are Hiding Their Names in Immigration Court (Reader Steve) 

From The Intercept: “Inside a federal immigration courtroom in New York City last month, a judge took an exceedingly unusual step: declining to state the name of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorney pressing to deport asylum seekers. ‘We’re not really doing names publicly,’ said Judge ShaSha Xu — after stating her own name and those of the immigrants and their lawyers. It was the first of two separate instances The Intercept identified in which judges chose to withhold the identities of the attorneys representing the Trump administration’s deportation regime. As ICE agents across the country wear masks to raid workplaces and detain immigrants, government attorneys need not cover their faces to shield their identities. Legal experts who spoke to The Intercept agreed the practice of concealing the lawyers’ identities was both novel and concerning.”

Ukraine Wing of US-Founded Terrorist Group Says It Was Involved in Killing of Intelligence Officer in Kyiv (Russ) 

The author writes, “For months, the Base, born in the US and with a web of cells all over the world, has been offering money to supporters or willing participants for targeted assassinations and attacks on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine, coinciding with allegations that its American founder, Rinaldo Nazzaro, was a Kremlin spy. Ukrainian authorities have also been warning in recent weeks of similar Russian intelligence operations covertly paying unknowing citizens to carry out sabotage inside their country.”

Arizona Is Buying up Its Citizens’ Medical Debt (Reader Jim) 

The author writes, “More than 350,000 Arizonans are seeing their medical debt wiped out thanks to a state partnership with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced this week. Per KNXV, the program, funded with $10 million in federal COVID relief dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act, has so far spent $2 million to erase $429 million in medical debt — translating to over $200 in debt cleared for every dollar spent.”