America Is Targeting the Russian Electric Grid — But Don’t Tell the President
Sergei Savostyanov/TASS via ZUMA The New York Times reports that we have been aggressively installing malware in Russia’s electric grid: Since at least 2012, current and former officials say, the United States has put reconnaissance probes into the control systems of the Russian electric grid. But now the American strategy has shifted more toward offense,…
The White House Sent the Weirdest Flag Day Tweet—and the Internet Can’t Stop Laughing
Chris O’Meara/AP June 14 was Flag Day, a minor holiday that was established by Woodrow Wilson in 1916 to celebrate the day in 1777 that the Continental Congress made the stars and stripes the official American flag. In honor of the event, the White House Twitter account posted this celebratory tweet: pic.twitter.com/c40BQpZFtW — The White House (@WhiteHouse)…
There’s So Much Plastic in the Environment That Bees Are Making Nests Out of It
Sean Gallup/Getty This story was originally published by Atlas Obscura and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Last summer, scientists in South America were studying the impact agricultural practices have on the surrounding ecosystems, and specifically how natural areas and fields are pollinated as a result of their proximity to one another. In the midst…
The Trump Administration Is Trying to Use the Scott Warren Case to Scare Activists. It’s Not Working.
Scott Warren (center) speaks after his high-profile court case ends in a mistrial. Astrid Galvan/AP The highly publicized federal case against humanitarian aid worker Scott Warren, who was accused of helping migrants at the US-Mexico border, ended in a mistrial on Tuesday. Warren, a volunteer with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, was charged…
A Nasty Swine Flu in China Means Big Trouble for US Farmers
A nearly-empty barn at a pig farm in Jiangjiaqiao village in northern China’s Hebei province, where swine fever is taking its toll.Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo A relentlessly rainy spring and President Donald Trump’s trade war with China aren’t the only forces haunting the Midwest’s corn and soybean farmers. A deadly, highly contagious disease called African swine…
Hey, Taylor Swift, LGBTQ People Don’t Need an Ally. We Need an Accomplice.
Imagespace/ZUMA This week: “You Need To Calm Down” by Taylor Swift (Republic Records, 2019) Why we’re into it: This is a great pop song, even if we can’t excuse the weak allyship. From the moment the first beat hits, it’s clear this is a Taylor Swift song. In what’s become a signature of hers, the song comes…