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Starwatch: Sunlight and Dust Combine to Create Soft Glow of Zodiacal Light (Maria)

The author writes, “This week, skywatchers can search for one of the more subtle celestial effects. The zodiacal light is the soft glow of sunlight scattered off the interplanetary dust that lies in the plane of our solar system. The dust itself comes from comets and asteroid collisions. Seen from Earth, the zodiacal light appears as a faint triangular glow stretching up from the horizon.”

ICE to Buy Tool that Tracks Locations of Hundreds of Millions of Phones Every Day (Dana)

From 404 Media: “Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has bought access to a surveillance tool that is updated every day with billions of pieces of location data from hundreds of millions of mobile phones, according to ICE documents reviewed by 404 Media. The documents explicitly show that ICE is choosing this product over others offered by the contractor’s competitors because it gives ICE essentially an ‘all-in-one’ tool for searching both masses of location data and information taken from social media. The documents also show that ICE is planning to once again use location data remotely harvested from peoples’ smartphones after previously saying it had stopped the practice.”

Solar Storms Are Pushing Elon Musk’s Satellites Back to Earth (Sean)

From Gizmodo: “New research suggests that heightened solar activity shortens the lifespans of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, and may send them careening back to Earth at greater velocities. Perhaps unintuitively, this could increase the risk of satellite debris making landfall. This preprint study, which has yet to undergo peer review, adds to a wealth of evidence showing that solar storms wreak havoc on Elon Musk’s Starlinks. Over the last several years, the frequency and intensity of these storms have increased as the Sun approaches solar maximum — the peak in its 11-year cycle. At the same time, the number of satellites orbiting Earth has skyrocketed, largely due to the rise of private megaconstellations like Starlink.”

A Boston Law Firm Is Suing Newsmax. Here’s Why (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “The law firm Todd & Weld is suing the conservative media outlet Newsmax over alleged unpaid legal bills totaling more than $400,000. In a complaint filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Sept. 18, Todd & Weld says Newsmax is in breach of contract and ‘concedes it owes but refuses to pay,’ for its work representing the company over multiple libel lawsuits against Newsmax over its coverage of voter fraud. Todd & Weld was the lead trial counsel for Newsmax in both the Dominion and Smartmatic lawsuits, in which the voting system companies alleged that statements made during Newsmax’s coverage of the 2020 presidential election were defamatory and false.”

Running Out: Texas’ Water Crisis — and the Path Forward (Laura)

From The Texas Tribune: “From the Rio Grande to Lake Travis, from the Ogallala Aquifer to the Red River, Texas’ water supply is under duress. The state’s rapidly expanding population, deteriorating infrastructure, and warming climate threaten its water supply — and by extension, its economy and way of life. The state’s regional diversity and patchwork of governments complicate matters further. … Texas voters will be asked this fall to approve a $20 billion package to protect the state’s water supply.”

Exercise May Actually Reverse Your Body’s Aging Clock (Mili)

The author writes, “New research suggests that exercise may not just make us feel younger — it could actually slow or even reverse the body’s molecular clock. By looking at DNA markers of aging, scientists found that structured exercise like aerobic and strength training has stronger anti-aging effects than casual activity. Evidence from both mice and humans shows measurable reductions in biological age, with benefits reaching beyond muscles to the heart, liver, fat tissue, and gut.”

The Favela Couriers Who Put Their Community on the Map in Brazil (Russ)

The author writes, “Paraisópolis, one of São Paulo’s largest favelas, rises up the hillside in a dense, improvised sprawl. Homes stand shoulder to shoulder, some painted in bright colors, others left in bare brick. Narrow alleys twist so tightly that cars cannot enter. Instead, motorbikes squeeze past laundry lines and children playing in the street. For decades, Brazil’s national postal service, Correios, never set foot inside. Without formal addresses or numbered homes, most deliveries never arrive. … That problem became acute during the COVID-19 pandemic, when medicines and online shopping were unable to reach the community. So residents came up with their own solution: a community-run delivery service. Favela Brasil Xpress launched in 2020 inside Paraisópolis. The company operates from a small warehouse where residents sort boxes, scan labels and head out on scooters and motorbikes to deliver orders.”