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Wolf Supermoon 2026 Across the World — In Pictures (Maria)
The author writes, “According to NASA, a supermoon occurs when the moon, due to its proximity to Earth, appears up to 15% larger and 30% brighter than a regular full moon.”
Report Flags Potential Conflicts in $2B Raised for Trump’s Pet Projects (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “A new report details how allies of President Donald Trump have raised around $2 billion to fund some of his favorite projects, raising questions about conflicts of interest as hundreds of those donors have also benefited from actions by the Trump administration. The report from The New York Times does not directly state that the donations are part of a pay-to-play scheme; however, several commentators and government watchdog groups have noted that they could be just that, especially since there is a lack of transparency regarding the gifts and how the donors have benefited from the administration’s policies.”
When a Postmark No Longer Tracks Mailing (Dana)
From Brookings: “On December 24, 2025, a quiet change took effect in the Postal Service’s Domestic Mail Manual. The new section (DMM 608.11) now clarifies that a postmark will no longer indicate the date a piece of mail was deposited with U.S. Postal Service (USPS). … Although the rule is technical, its implications reach well beyond postal operations. For more than 70 years, legal and administrative systems have treated a postmark as reliable evidence of when an individual met a deadline: when a ballot was mailed, when a tax return was filed, when a court document was submitted, or when an application was received. This reliance made sense in a network where most mail entered processing close to where it was deposited, keeping the postmark closely aligned with the date of mailing.”
Conservatives Want the Antebellum Constitution Back (Gerry)
From The Atlantic: “The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments are in trouble.”
New Study Reveals How Kimchi Boosts the Immune System (Mili)
The author writes, “Kimchi may do far more than add flavor to meals — it could help fine-tune the human immune system. A clinical study using advanced single-cell genetic analysis found that regular kimchi consumption strengthens immune defenses while preventing harmful overreactions. Researchers observed improved activity in key immune cells, with effects varying depending on fermentation methods.”
‘Food and Fossil Fuel Production Causing $5B of Environmental Damage an Hour’ (Laura)
The author writes, “The unsustainable production of food and fossil fuels causes $5 billion (£3.8bn) of environmental damage per hour, according to a major UN report. Ending this harm was a key part of the global transformation of governance, economics and finance required ‘before collapse becomes inevitable,’ the experts said.”
In Antarctica, Photos Show a Remote Area Teeming With Life Amid Growing Risks From Climate Change (Reader Steve)
From the Associated Press: “The majestic views in Antarctica … will likely be starkly different in the decades ahead. The growing Gentoo penguin colonies, the shrinking pieces of floating ice and the increasing instances of exposed rock in the Antarctic Peninsula all underscore a changing landscape.”



