Turning Thermostat Down? Here’s What 1 Degree Costs You on Energy Bill

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Turning Thermostat Down? Here’s What 1 Degree Costs You on Energy Bill (Maria)

The author writes, “As a heat wave descends on much of the US, experts like the Energy Department, Consumer Reports, and others advise that raising your AC thermostat can help conserve energy and save money. … If you adjust your thermostat, how much will each degree cost or save you? Here’s what experts say.”

‘This Isn’t About Any One Administration’: Protests in DC Reimagine the Next 250 Years in the US (Russ)

From The Guardian: “More than a thousand people gathered on a block away from the White House on Saturday to unveil their vision for the US’s future, organizers said, with thousands more attending other events around the country. At the Next250 All of US rally, held a week before the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, organizers launched their Declaration of Interdependence, an art installation featuring the collective values they believe should define the next 250 years of America’s story. The pledge — a take on the declaration of independence, the country’s founding text — aims to build a country where everyone can earn a living wage, have access to green spaces and feel safe in their communities, activists said.”

Elon Musk on Mackenzie Scott Giving Away $26 Billion of Her Fortune: ‘Sadly,’ It Makes the World a Worse Place (Reader Jim)

From Fortune: “MacKenzie Scott has become one of the most active philanthropists of our time. After all, she’s given away more than $26 billion during the past few years to thousands of organizations through her foundation Yield Giving. While many of her recipients had never received a donation of that size and many have called them life-changing gifts, not everyone sees her work in the same way. Take Elon Musk, who recently became the world’s first trillionaire, who thinks Scott’s giving is actually making the world ‘worse off.’”

Centrist Ds vs. Insurgent Socialists: A Non-Fight Not Worth Fighting (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “Whenever I encounter a person, media report, or podcast that’s wound up about socialists taking over the Democratic party and thereby winding down capitalism as we know it, I find myself somewhere between puzzled and eye-rolly. The main reason for my response is that our economy has always existed on a continuum between pure free markets and deep market interventions by the public sector. … I don’t think anyone should be surprised that the move along the continuum away from the status quo has been to the left. At the same time, I see no reason for Ds to overreact to this. Mamdani, to take exhibit A in this faux war, didn’t run on socializing the means of production or getting rid of market-based pricing. He ran (in part) on more affordable child care and housing, paid for by higher taxes on the rich.”

Daughters of the American Revolution Live Up to Their Name by Rejecting Ban on Trans Women (Dana)

From Them: “The Daughters of the American Revolution officially rejected a proposed ban on transgender women from joining the organization on June 26. The long-awaited vote came after years of pressure within the DAR — a nonprofit historical preservation and education society created in 1890, composed of women with direct ancestry to soldiers in the American Revolutionary War — to exclude trans women from the organization’s definition of ‘woman,’ which would effectively ban them from its ranks.”

‘Serial Monogamists’ Who Love Scandal, Chicago Zoo’s Same-Sex Penguin Couple Showcase Animal Diversity (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “Maureen Cleary likens the love lives of the African penguins at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo to a soap opera. Pilchard and Maynard would probably be the couple starring in such a drama, said the zoological manager of birds. The same-sex duo arrived in 2016 as additions to the zoo’s newly opened penguin habitat, Cleary said. Maynard, now 22, hailed from Pueblo Zoo in Colorado and Pilchard, 11, from the New England Aquarium. But Maynard was already in a relationship — at least at first. That is until the other half of his bonded pair, a female named Aiden, started hanging out in both Maynard and Pilchard’s nest boxes, Cleary said. Then, in another twist, Aiden set her sights on a different penguin, one whose mate had recently passed away. Maynard and Pilchard, however, decided to stick together. And about seven years later, they’re still going strong, Cleary said.”