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Today Is a Scientifically Short Day (Maria)

The author writes, “Ample sunshine, ice cream, and afternoons at the beach might leave you wishing that summer would never end. Unfortunately, this year the season is speeding by a smidge faster than normal. This July and August, slight fluctuations in Earth’s rotation mean many days have been or will be measurably shorter. Today, July 22, is projected to be about 1.34 milliseconds under the typical 24 hours, according to a report from timeanddate.com. It’s the latest in a recent string of slightly abridged days.”

Their Water Taps Ran Dry When Meta Built Next Door (Dana)

From The New York Times: “The couple’s house, which uses well water, is 1,000 feet from Meta’s new data center. Months after construction began in 2018, the Morrises’ dishwasher, ice maker, washing machine and toilet all stopped working, said Beverly Morris, now 71. Within a year, the water pressure had slowed to a trickle. Soon, nothing came out of the bathroom and kitchen taps. Jeff Morris, 67, eventually traced the issues to the buildup of sediment in the water. He said he suspected the cause was Meta’s construction, which could have added sediment to the groundwater and affected their well.”

DOJ Investigated Arresting Minnesota Judges, Lawyers for Remote Hearings (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “A now-common practice is for ICE agents to appear at criminal defense hearings for noncitizens, sometimes in plainclothes, to arrest defendants. This practice had never been used before since it discourages attendance at court hearings. Minnesota courts are no exception. Understandably, Minnesota attorneys with noncitizen clients grew a bit cautious. They started discussing requesting remote hearings when it made sense to do so. Fox News reported on a chat discussion among Minnesota defense attorneys in March. In the email chain, lawyers discuss doing ‘all we can to keep our clients safe in these difficult times.’ This level of devotion to their clients was not well-received by the federal government. According to a recent Reuters exclusive, the Department of Justice’s leadership strongly disagreed with this adaptation.”

Travelers to the US Must Pay a New $250 ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ (Reader Jim)

From CNBC: “Visitors to the United States will need to pay a ‘visa integrity fee,’ according to a provision of the Trump administration’s recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act… The ‘visa integrity fee’ applies to all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas, which includes tourists, business travelers and international students. Some visitors, including those from Australia, Japan and many nations in Europe, may not need visas to enter under the Visa Waiver Program.”

How Wisconsin Exemplifies the Weaknesses of Both the Democratic and Republican Parties (Al)

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Trump has reinforced an ongoing realignment that has created deep electoral problems on each side. And these have become especially clear in Wisconsin in the last few years, as the two parties have gotten very good — or very bad — at winning particular types of elections. This has a lot to do with how the Democratic and Republican coalitions have changed, with Democrats emerging as the party of the college-educated and metropolitan voter, and the Republicans emerging as the party of the rural and blue-collar voter.”

Scientists Stunned After Finding One Of Earth’s Most Remote Places Blanketed in Dangerous Material: ‘Is It Snowing Plastic?’ (Reader Andrew)

The author writes, “Alan Chambers has gained acclaim for exploring some of the world’s most extreme locations. He has skied across Iceland and led a team that walked from Canada to the North Pole. … Chambers is heading up Mission Spiritus, an initiative aimed at assessing the global spread of microplastics and nanoplastics. His goal is to gather samples from remote locations on every continent. ‘Mission Spiritus aims to deliver evidence-based insights that enable impactful solutions, driving meaningful transformational change on one of humanity’s most pressing environmental crises,’ the organization says on its website.”