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The Best Meditation Apps to Quit Doomscrolling and Find Peace Instead (Maria)

The author writes, “Anxious? Stressed? Trouble sleeping? Meditation is not a magical remedy for all that ails you, but there’s a reason that more Americans are flocking to it. It’s a free, easy-to-perform practice you can do almost anywhere to calm your mind, reduce stress, and improve your sleep and focus. People have been meditating for more than 5,000 years, but you don’t have to travel to a remote mountaintop in India and meet a guru to get started. The best meditation apps can teach you the same techniques, provide guidance and offer effective tools.”

The Absurd Prosecution of a Man Who Posted a Charlie Kirk Meme (Laura)

From The Intercept: “Larry Bushart Jr. posted trolling memes on a Facebook thread about a vigil for Kirk. He’s been in a Tennessee jail ever since.”

US Assessment of Israeli Shooting of Journalist Divided American Officials (Siobhán)

From The New York Times: “A U.S. colonel has gone public with his concern that official findings about the 2022 killing of a Palestinian American reporter were soft-pedaled to appease Israel.”

Want Fluoride in the Water? Too Bad. (Dana)

From High Country News: “In the West — from Mesa, Arizona, to Port Angeles, Washington — communities have debated fluoridation for decades. Dentists testify about science. Opponents argue fluoride is poison, and many insist that ‘clean water’ must be unfluoridated. In some states, a municipality’s decision to fluoridate is up to voters; in other places, residents must bring the issue to their council, which ultimately makes the decision. Around the time of Kennedy’s pronouncement, however, Western lawmakers began sidestepping public input and unilaterally banning water fluoridation.” 

Scientists Achieve Forensics’ ‘Holy Grail’ by Recovering Fingerprints From Fired Bullets (Mili)

The author writes, “Two Irish scientists have created a groundbreaking method for recovering fingerprints from fired bullet casings — something long believed to be impossible. Dr. Eithne Dempsey and her former PhD student, Dr. Colm McKeever, from the Department of Chemistry at Maynooth University in Ireland, have designed a novel electrochemical process that reveals fingerprints on brass casings even after exposure to the intense heat generated when a gun is fired.”

Biodegradable Plastic Made From Bamboo Is Strong and Easy To Recycle (Sean)

The author writes, “Hard plastic made from bamboo is as strong and durable as conventional plastics for uses such as household appliances and car interiors, but is also recyclable and biodegrades easily in soil. Plastics derived from biological matter, or bioplastics, are increasingly popular, but they still only make up around half a per cent of the more than 400 million tonnes of plastics produced each year. This is, in part, because bioplastics lack the mechanical strength of many oil-based plastics and also can’t be easily used in common manufacturing processes.”