“Hiroshima survivor reflects as Trump weighs resuming nuclear weapons testing - Koko Kondo was just 8 months old when a U.S. nuclear bomb obliterated her community. She wants to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself…” www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

“People don’t think about e-bikes as mini-motorcycles, which is really what they are.” Under a 2002 federal law, e-bikes are regulated like regular pedal bicycles. But they are far more dangerous. On pedal bicycles, the chance of dying from an injury was less than 1%. On an e-bike, it was 11%”

"photography collection spotlights the last refuges of America’s dwindling local newspapers. Photojournalist Ann Hermes traveled to the offices of Ipswich Local News (MA), Juneau Empire (AK), and 50 more newsrooms in between to document the endangered local journalists’ increasingly dim habitations

"Russia’s prowess w/ drones has matched or even exceeded Ukraine’s, a strategic & diplomatic shift that is undermining Kyiv’s negotiations as US pushes for an end to the war. For most of the conflict, Ukraine has held a clear advantage in battlefield drones, slowing Russia’s offensive operations."

“If more deaths than births is America’s future, then for White people, the future was 2016. That’s when deaths of White adults passed births by White mothers. And the gap keeps widening.” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

“The ‘Race Against Time’ to Save Music Legends’ Decaying Tapes - New problems are plaguing old reels, putting decades of history at risk. One man, armed with hair dryers and a love of tinkering, is leading the charge to rescue them.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/a...

“In the end, housing alone won’t keep families from leaving cities. Cities still need to address public safety concerns, improve schools, and fix basic infrastructure like broken sidewalks and unreliable buses.” Welp, so much for that then!…

“on a clear morning, the San Gabriels sometimes do not look real. It's as if a Hollywood crew worked through the night to assemble a movie set backdrop, w/ impossibly steep rock walls towering over the valley. In a matter of minutes, I can disappear into the mirage, trading traffic for tranquility”

“These pink microbes could help reduce planet-warming methane emissions - If scaled nationwide, the company estimates that the microbes could slash up to 1.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, an amount produced by driving more than 370 million gas-powered cars for one year.”

When you’re a Republican, they let ya do it… “David Sacks, the Trump administration’s A.I. and crypto czar, has helped formulate policies that aid his Silicon Valley friends and many of his own tech investments.” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/t...

“People don’t think about e-bikes as mini-motorcycles, which is really what they are.” Under a 2002 federal law, e-bikes are regulated like regular pedal bicycles. But they are far more dangerous. On pedal bicycles, the chance of dying from an injury was less than 1%. On an e-bike, it was 11%”

“mass shooting at a child's birthday party in Stockton on Sat left three children and one adult dead — ages 8, 9, 14, and 21 — and another 11 victims hospitalized. The attack, which unfolded at a banquet hall where more than 100 guests had gathered, was said to be targeted. Gunman remains at large

In 1975, when Turnley was just 20, he accepted a commission from CA Office of Economic Opportunity to take pictures of the state's working poor. He spent time w/ migrant farmworkers in San Joaquin valley, travelers who hopped trains in search of work, and the urban poor of Watts and the Tenderloin”

“One of the pickers, Mimi, said she has been in the country illegally for 23 years. She pulled out a photo of her three children: "Her older son, whom she brought from Mexico when he was 2 years old, has DACA and recently graduated from college with a degree in mechanical engineering.“

“Associated Press reporters observed immigration court proceedings in 21 cities. Hearings repeatedly ended with cases dismissed by the government, allowing agents to arrest immigrants in courthouse hallways.”

"recorded the weather every third hour, day & night, 7 days a week, every day of the year, from their station in Falsterbo, Sweden. Earning “a lousy salary, and a fantastic life,” they remained steadfast through childbirth, illness & snowstorms—not missing a single observation in 36yrs..."

"Analysis of the data showed that, on average, famous singers survived until they were 75. Less famous singers survived until they were 79. Effects of fame comparable to certain other health risks." bmjgroup.com/fame-itself-...

"idea quick-install heat pump originally came from NYC, where the govt launched Clean Heat for All Challenge in 2022—which offered the potential of a contract with the city’s public housing authority, which controls 177,000 apartments—as the city looked for ways to decarbonize apartment buildings."

I saw this tiny vinyl for-sale at Target the other day. It's only 4 inches! 😆 arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025...

"Hondurans vote in presidential election as Trump threatens to cut aid to the country if right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura loses to Liberal Party contender Salvador Nasralla. The US gave Honduras $194B in aid in 2023, the last fully reported year." www.dw.com/en/honduras-...

NOT THE ONION. "Switzerland voted to reject an inheritance tax on the top 0.03% of residents [2,500 people] after the wealthy threatened to leave the country. The plan was opposed by 78% of the electorate. The levy would have applied to assets exceeding $62M that an individual passes on / gifts."

"storing and processing large volumes of data generates massive amounts of heat. Keeping data centers cool enough to avoid malfunctions can account for as much as 15% of the capital expenditure on these projects."

"Lithuania's Vilnius airport closed yesterday for at least the 10th time since October amid concerns of balloon activity. The closure comes amid a wave of airspace disruptions—primarily drones—in Europe in recent months, including in Copenhagen, Munich & Brussels" uk.news.yahoo.com/lithuania-ca...

It’s not even 2026 yet and I’m already getting sick of hearing Andy Beshear (D-Kentucky) scolding fellow Dems for not “talking like normal people.” “Food insecurity” and “hunger” are two different things, you numbnuts… www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

I hope Trump receives a bill 9 months from now saying that he'll need to pay for the entire cost out of pocket since it was “preventative."

"A recent govt-backed report found that Britain was the most expensive place in the world to build nuclear power. It had many recommendations, but the policy writer Ben Southwood highlighted one in particular: That zoning laws should permit developers to offer benefits for local communities."

"founder of Dignitas, the Swiss assisted suicide org, has died by assisted suicide at 92. Euthanasia has been legal in Switzerland since 1942, but Minelli argued the existing regime was too restrictive. He founded the group in 1998 & pushed to have it offer the service to citizens from other nations

"FDA email on vaccine policy comes just before CDC convenes a crucial two-day meeting of that agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Dec 4-5. The committee is in the process of conducting a major review of how children are inoculated against dangerous infectious diseases..."

"Trump’s pardon of Honduras's ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez shows counter-drug effort is ‘based on lies and hypocrisy’ - Why has Trump blown up alleged narco boats in the Caribbean and at the same time decided to let a big-time trafficker off the hook?" www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

"Hat Yai in southern Thailand saw 335 mm (13 inches) of rain in a single day, the highest figure in 300 years, according to the BBC, brought by a rare cyclone in the Malacca Strait." www.bbc.com/news/article...

"South Africa Arrests Five Over Alleged Military Work for Russia - More than a dozen South Africans are believed to have already been lured with the promise of lucrative contracts, with many of them now on the battlefield fighting Ukrainian troops with little prospect of returning."

When I was 9 years old in 1989 and living in the small town of Marquette, Michigan, I was allowed to ride my bike wherever I wanted. I had no idea how far I was riding at the time, but now that I look it up, I was going almost 4 miles from home. No cell phones or nothing back then. Good times!

Sheffield map shows difference in size of area that parents let their 8-year-old roam freely in, across 4 generations of one family. 1919: George was allowed to walk 6 miles. 1950: Jack was allowed to walk 1 mile. 1979: Vicky was allowed to walk 0.5 miles. 2007: Ed was allowed to walk 300 yards.

“California is tired of letting people die - Long-term involuntary treatment is back. Is it working?” www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

“In US, UK & elsewhere, while costs of other forms of new energy have fallen, nuclear has become steadily more expensive, because of *requirements* that any savings made through technological improvements are reinvested in safety, meaning prices always go up” 2023 article: ifp.org/nuclear-powe...

"Why It Matters That the Trump Administration Is Declassifying Architects as “Professionals” - The job that dictates the look—and safety—of our built environment is taking a hit from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act." www.dwell.com/article/what...

“robotaxi co’s currently lose money. Vehicles are kitted out w/ costly safety features & trained on pricey AI chips. & unlike Uber, robotaxi co’s have to cover cost both of acquiring & managing their fleets, including cleaning, fuel, maintenance & parking. They also have humans to monitor remotely

"hottest new accessory for kids in China is a smartwatch. The watches, built for kids as young as 5, allow kids to chat & share videos with friends and play games. But they also promote fierce competition: Little Genius gamifies nearly every activity, and kids try to get as many Likes as possible."

"Changing the diagnostic criteria of autism has politicized the condition. Originally, autism referred to intellectual disability. In 1994, a separate diagnosis, Asperger’s syndrome, was introduced for people with similar symptoms but without the same learning or language difficulties."

These videos are hilarious 🤣 "College student Cashen Tomlinson uses AI to make songs and videos about steamrollers, Post-it Notes, and other fascinations." www.businessinsider.com/learning-wit...

"Chewing paan is common in parts of NW London, where a rust-coloured mix of saliva and paan can be seen. Paan consists of a mixture including betel nut and leaf, herbs, and tobacco, which, when chewed, gives the user a narcotic effect. It's popular among members of the South East Asian community."

This turned into a lovely thread of live versions of songs with horns:

Speaking of the transformative nature of a bombastic horn section, this live version of The Kinks’ “Village Green Preservation Society” from 1973 is another example of elevating an already iconic song…

“How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch - Prosecutors say members of the Somali diaspora, a group with growing political power, were largely responsible.” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/u...

“leaders discussed a proposal to develop a unified position on reparations and formally define colonization as a crime against humanity. The economic cost of colonialism in Africa is believed to be staggering, with some estimates putting the cost of plunder in the trillions.”

“Defense-tech companies and AI startups have found a vital new market in Trump’s rapidly escalating drug war. Drone and imaging companies are assisting the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy with interdiction operations in the Caribbean.” www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

“Zillow began publishing climate risk ratings last year using data from the risk-modeling company First Street. The scores aimed to quantify each home’s risk from floods, wildfires, wind, extreme heat & poor air quality. But real estate agents complained they hurt sales.” Oh.

WSJ editorial board: “Tens of thousands are building new lives here in peace and are contributing to their communities. They shouldn’t be blamed for the violent act of one man. Collective punishment of all Afghans in the U.S. won’t make America safer and it might embitter more against the US.”

“Government maps, often more than 10 years old, rely on historical data, underestimating current flood risks.”

“Federal flood maps omit millions of at-risk properties, particularly in urban areas, where rainfall causes significant damage. First Street estimates 13 million properties outside federal flood zones have a 1% or higher annual flood risk.”