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Watch the World’s Tiniest Solar-Powered Robot Take Flight (Maria)

The author writes, “When disaster strikes in a remote location — an oil spill, for example — scientists and officials need eyes in the skies to monitor conditions from afar. Drones can swoop in to help, but short battery lives can limit their usefulness. Enter ColoumbFly, the world’s lightest and smallest solar-powered flying robot. … Researchers hope its design could inspire a new generation of robotic fliers that can link wi-fi networks, send photos and accomplish other remote-monitoring tasks for long periods of time.”

The Truth About Political Violence (Dana)

From The Bulwark: “There is indeed a celebration of violence and a whiff of fascism emanating from Trump and the MAGA crowd that surrounds him. After all, it is Trump himself — and figures close to him — who for years now have been stoking the flames of discord in fascist-lite mode. The examples are legion. Given the opportunity in a 2020 debate to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to renounce violence, all Trump would say to the paramilitary Proud Boys was, ‘Stand back and stand by.’ They did stand by. On January 6th, five people died as a consequence of the insurrection that Trump incited, with the Proud Boys taking part.”

Protecting 1.2 Percent of Earth Would Prevent Most Extinctions, Study Says (Laura)

The author writes, “Setting aside an additional 1.2% of the world’s land as nature preserves would prevent the majority of predicted plant and animal extinctions and cost about $263 billion, according to a study published [in June]. The world is racing to meet a goal to protect 30% of the world by 2030 to protect wildlife that is being decimated by climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. Global policymakers will meet at a United Nations summit in Colombia in October to discuss plans for reaching that goal.”

Hungary’s Viktor Orban Meets Trump at Mar-A-Lago for ‘Peace Mission 5.0’ (Sean)

From Al Jazeera: “Hungary’s Viktor Orban has met with former US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida where they discussed the ‘possibilities of peace,’ the latest stop in the prime minister’s solo run to secure a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. Orban, a longtime Trump supporter, has visited Ukraine, Russia, and China in the past two weeks on a self-styled ‘peace mission,’ which has angered Hungary’s NATO allies. … Considered the closest European leader to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Orban was in the United States this week to attend a NATO summit hosted by President Joe Biden.”

Here Are the 10 States With the Poorest Quality of Life (Reader Jim)

From The Hill: “Texas is the state with the worst quality of life, according to data from CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business report. As part of the study, CNBC considers states’ quality of life as one of their 10 categories of competitiveness used to rank states. CNBC uses multiple factors like crime rates, health care, air quality, and child care when determining quality of life of each state. Texas came in as the state with the worst quality of life, in part, due to its poor healthcare.”

A Cave on the Moon Is Confirmed, and Scientists Suspect Hundreds More Like It Could House Future Explorers (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts. An Italian-led team reported Monday that there’s evidence for a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It’s located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Apollo 11’s landing site. The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.”

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