US Grid’s Extreme Heat Problem Is Changing

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US Grid’s Extreme Heat Problem Is Changing (Maria)

The author writes, “Solar energy and batteries are making it easier for utilities to meet surging electricity demand during extreme heat, but prolonged high temperatures are exposing other vulnerabilities in the grid. … Climate change is extending periods of extreme heat as electrification and data centers add loads, leaving parts of the grid working harder for longer.”

AI Slop Is Swamping a House Office That Drafts US Laws (Bethany)

From Politico: “Four congressional staffers involved in drafting bills told Politico that AI use is becoming more commonplace in the House, with staffers and advocacy groups relying on it for their daily work, including reviewing and drafting legislation. ‘It’s absolutely terrifying,’ a House staffer said, ‘and no one is thinking about it yet.’” 

Silicon Valley Was Right From the Start (Russ)

The author writes, “Many Americans watched with surprise as Silicon Valley’s most powerful entrepreneurs fell in behind President Trump when he returned to the White House last year. The same chief executives and investors who once celebrated globalization and consumer apps were suddenly embracing patriotism and advanced weaponry such as killer drones. Don’t misconstrue this as a thoughtful political shift or a change of heart. Silicon Valley has always been fertile ground for mythmaking, and no myth is bigger than the notion that the ideological chasm between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon is too vast to bridge.”

How a Washington Behavioral Health Plan Fizzled (Reader Steve)

From The Seattle Times: “In 2023, the state of Washington set up a new task force to improve its behavioral health system. State lawmakers directed a group of 16 public health officials, legislators and mental health advocates to come up with a five-year plan that would ‘substantially improve access to behavioral health for all Washington residents’ and guide lawmakers and the governor as they made decisions about mental health and substance use disorders. The group, known as the Joint Legislative and Executive Committee on Behavioral Health, met quarterly for nearly two years and came out with a 92-page report. The state spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the work done. It seems to have sat on the shelf ever since.” 

If You Want to Know How Trump 2.0 Is Really Going, I Suggest a Visit to the Dying Trump ‘Superstore’ (Reader Jim)

The author writes, “Strategically placed on Interstate 40 just west of Knoxville, equidistant from two Buc-ee’s travel centers, the Tennessee Trump Superstore sits at one of the busiest trucking junctions in the state. The lot is owned by William ‘Bill’ Hays and was, until four years ago, the home of Cupid’s Outlet, an adult novelty store managed by a trans comic that specialized in ‘romantic gifts & more.’ Recently, the store gained notoriety for a new sign: ‘Going out of business. Everything store wide 50% off.’”

Meet the Man Circumnavigating the Arctic Ocean, Alone (Laura)

From NPR: “When sailing alone, even sleep is dangerous. Matt Rutherford knows this all too well. As he travels the Arctic, far from his home port of Annapolis, Md., the moments Rutherford does get to rest are precious. ‘It just becomes extremely difficult to get any sleep because if you hit the ice, you essentially die,’ he said. Rutherford is attempting a maritime first: to circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean completely alone, some 10,000 nautical miles in total. The 45-year-old veteran sailor’s journey takes him across the North Atlantic, along the Russian Arctic coast and eventually through the Northwest Passage in Canada.”

A Mysterious Silver Cub Just Debuted on the Katmai Bear Cam. Is It a Polar Bear Hybrid? (Dana)

The author writes, “An adorable new star just debuted on the Katmai Bear Camera, the cameras that film brown bears inside Katmai National Park. And now, avid followers of the livestream from Brooks River — the bears’ favorite hunting ground — cannot stop chatting about the bear camera’s latest celebrity. Why? Because the bear in question has unusually colored fur that is indicative of a ‘Pizzly’ bear, a cross-breed between a polar and grizzly.”