These Beetles Sport Chemical ‘Invisibility Cloaks’ & Will Die if They’re Removed

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These Beetles Sport Chemical ‘Invisibility Cloaks’ — And Will Die if They’re Removed (Maria)

The author writes, “Free housing, free food, and free protection from predators. There are a lot of perks for beetles and other tiny organisms that live covertly inside ant colonies. But as it turns out, there is a potential downside, too: no way out. Researchers report today in Cell that a species of rove beetle has taken a one-way evolutionary journey, evolving a clever way to disguise itself that it’ll never be able to undo. If they ever stop refreshing their cloak, they will die.”

ICE Bounty Hunting Aided by Geo Group’s Surveillance Work (Reader Steve)

From Bloomberg News: “A private prison operator that’s profited by detaining immigrants in the US is rapidly shifting to offer surveillance tools, capitalizing on the government’s deportation push by selling human-tracking services. Geo Group Inc. has evolved into US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s largest contractor, winning more than $800 million in business in 2025 alone, according to procurement records reviewed by Bloomberg News. Much of that pays for Geo Group’s prisons and detention centers being put to use for ICE.”

The Smearing of Alex Pretti and NSPM-7 (Dana)

From Just Security: “It appears to be part of the administration’s campaign to demonize opposition to its anti-immigrant policies as ‘domestic terrorism,’ and to weaponize powers of the federal government against such perceived political opponents. That plan is set forth in a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7) and other official memoranda. It is a direct threat to First Amendment rights, as well as the lives of protesters opposed to the administration’s unconstitutional and increasingly violent anti-immigrant policies.” 

AI Is Reshaping National Power, but America’s Real Bottleneck Is Not Chips — It Is Electricity (Sean)

The author writes, “As artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly incorporated into national strategic frameworks, U.S. technological competitiveness is expanding at an unprecedented pace. Yet beneath public narratives dominated by semiconductors, algorithms, and capital allocation, a more fundamental — and far less easily accelerated — structural constraint is emerging: electricity and power grid infrastructure.”

The Fukushima Towns Frozen in Time: Nature Has Thrived Since the Nuclear Disaster But What Happens if Humans Return? (Laura)

The author writes, “Fifteen years after a tsunami caused the Fukushima nuclear accident, only bears, raccoons and boar are seen on the streets. But the authorities and some locals want people to move back.”

Face to Face With History’s Most Dangerous Painter (Al)

From The New York Times: “Here is a confession: Since my early 20s, I have been in love with a terrorist. This is him. My No. 1 guy, my problematic fave: Jacques-Louis David, painter of the French Revolution and everything that came after. In the 1780s, David rocketed to the forefront of European painting with a severe new style of depiction. His ambitions led him all the way into a new government, which he served with lethal devotion.”