These Butterflies May Offer Insights Into Healthy Human Aging

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These Butterflies Can Live 25 Times Longer Than Their Relatives — And May Offer Insights Into Healthy Human Aging (Maria)

The author writes, “Most butterflies have short lives. Once one emerges from its chrysalis, it usually flies around for a few weeks then dies. But some species of tropical butterflies can live for almost a year. … Butterflies in the Heliconius genus, which live in South and Central American rainforests, have evolved mechanisms that allow them to age far more slowly than their peers — which may translate to other animals, researchers report in the journal Nature Communications.”

The Anti-Immigrant Supreme Court (Dana)

From Mother Jones: “The Supreme Court made one thing plain this week: It is an anti-immigrant court. There were hints before — big ones, to be honest. But in three rulings this week, the Republican-appointed justices voted to green light Trump administration policies against immigrants that both defy federal law and carry a massive humanitarian toll. This week’s decisions display, at best, a callous disregard for the wellbeing and safety of millions of people. At worst, they signal that an anti-immigrant mindset has taken hold of the court’s conservative wing.”

AI Is Helping Gas Stations Collude to Raise California Fuel Prices, Lawsuit Says (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “AI-powered software has allowed gas station operators across California to illegally collude and drive up prices at the pump, according to a federal lawsuit. The proposed class action lawsuit, filed Monday, accuses gas station giants including Marathon and Circle K of violating California’s antitrust law through Kalibrate, a fuel-pricing software system used across the world. The plaintiffs describe Kalibrate as the ‘central nervous system for a conspiracy to extinguish retail price competition among gas stations.’”

Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs Conducts Geofencing Surveillance of US Christian Communities (Sean)

From the Foreign Interference Research Center: “Reports published in June 2026 document that Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs has been conducting what is described as the “largest geofencing and targeted Christian digital campaign ever,” surveilling millions of Christian Americans in their churches and on university campuses. The operation represents a significant documented instance of a close U.S. ally conducting mass surveillance operations targeting American citizens on domestic soil, raising serious foreign interference and counter-espionage questions.”

One of the World’s Most Popular Weedkillers May Be Fueling Deadly Superbugs (Mili)

The author writes, “Researchers found that highly drug-resistant bacteria from hospitals are also resistant to glyphosate, a commonly used weedkiller. The discovery suggests that agricultural herbicides may be helping antibiotic-resistant microbes survive and spread far beyond healthcare settings.”

Rare Notable Exceptions (DonkeyHotey)

From Lawyers, Guns and Money: “Alan Greenspan, iconic economist of the New Gilded Age and capitalist extremist who made the world worse for his ideological running of the economy, is dead at the age of 100. With rare notable exceptions, Alan Greenspan was a horrible economist who made the nation and world worse through his obsession with Randian quackery.”