"Dozens of baby squid from Hawaii are aboard the International Space Station, for a study which scientists hope can help bolster human health during long space missions." You know this is how you get baby Cthulhu, right?
"NASA wants to change that — if not at the International Space Station, then the moon and Mars — and stop throwing away tons of dirty clothes every year, stuffing them in the trash to burn up in the atmosphere aboard discarded cargo ships. So it’s teamed up with Procter & Gamble Co. to figure out how best to clean astronauts’ clothes in space so they can be reused for months or even years, just like on Earth."
"Almost two-thirds of wind and solar projects built globally last year will be able to generate cheaper electricity than even the world’s cheapest new coal plants, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena)… The agency found that the falling cost of new windfarms and solar panels meant 62% of new renewable energy projects could undercut the cost of up to 800 gigawatts (GW) worth of coal plants, or almost enough to supply the UK’s electricity needs 10 times over."
Oh look, it's a rabbit hole… "JP Morgan will instruct US staff to register their vaccine status on an internal web portal this week… Staff may be allowed to tick a box saying they would rather not disclose their status - although the bank hopes only a small number will do so." And down we go.
"About 36 million American families on July 15 will start receiving monthly checks from the IRS, as part of the expanded Child Tax Credit. Eligible families will receive up to $1,800 in cash through December — however, the tax credit has a complication that may prompt some families to opt out." This sounds like it's more of an advance on your return.
"Russia said one of its warships in the Black Sea fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs Wednesday to force a British destroyer out of an area near Crimea that Moscow claims as its territorial waters, but Britain denied that account and insisted its ship wasn’t fired upon." Yeah huh! Not uh!
How goes Brexit? "Immigration enforcement officials will begin giving EU citizens who live in the UK a 28-day warning to apply to remain, the government says… But the Home Office will allow people indefinite time to complete an application for settled status if they have a reasonable excuse for delay."
"Miraculously—or predictably, if you ask proponents of the four-day workweek—the company seemed to be getting the same amount of work done in less time. It had scaled back on meetings and social events, and employees increased the pace of their day. Nicole Miller, who works in human resources at Buffer, also cited 'the principle of work expanding to the time you give it': When we have 40 hours of work a week, we find ways to work for 40 hours. Buffer might never go back to a five-day week." We've been teased with the 4 day work week for 3 decades now. And just last week the tweet about "when you're young, the best thing for your career is to work weekends" was trending (note, unless you own the business, it's never best for your career to volunteer to work weekends). And I'm sure this fall we'll see many think pieces about how people are working 60-80 hours "to make up for time/profits lost to the pandemic." Just because this isn't my first rodeo. People at the hospital like to talk about working 4 tens, or 3 twelves instead of 5 eights, until they actually have to do it. If I would be paid the same as I make for 40 hours, I wouldn't mind working 3 twelves, actually. Fuck, I work four 14 hour days, two eights every other weekend, and one 4-8 hour day. Three twelves would be a cake walk. But this is all before we get to managing day care for kids and everybody else's schedules.
"Citing the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced Tuesday that her department is launching a program to investigate potential burial sites associated with what were called Indian boarding schools in America." If you think the culture wars were hot before… JFC on a pogo-stick. Can't wait to see the conservative craziness that is about to be unleashed.
"After other residents spoke both in favor and against the proposal (of using a child's preferred pronouns), former state senator Dick Black criticized the (Loudoun County, Va., School Board) over its alleged backing of the policies as well as critical race theory. Residents cheered Black, prompting the board to close public comments by a vote of 9-0." The local level, where the real action is going on. This is why all elections and all levels of governance are important.
"For a White House that has been intensely focused on stamping out Covid-19 and shepherding trillions of dollars in spending on infrastructure and social-welfare programs through Congress, the violence presents a host of challenges that administration officials have so far struggled to get their arms around. First and foremost: determining how to stanch the bloodshed without exacerbating existing tensions on policing or hampering criminal justice reform efforts — a top Democratic priority… For now, the White House’s main response is to focus on the weapons doing most of the killing."
Meanwhile, on Bullshit Mountain… "Loudoun County parents are speaking out against critical race theory in their school district with one mother, Rachel Pisani, telling 'Fox & Friends' Wednesday that they will not stop until they are heard." Yes, parents won't stop until their voices are heard over their right to :: checks notes :: teach their children to hate each other. No they don't care that CRT is not taught anywhere else but law schools, CRT is a stand in for teaching about race from a non-white perspective.
Oh look, actual voter fraud! "Snodgrass was busted after a Delaware County election worker questioned the signature on his father’s ballot. A subsequent investigation revealed the ballot had been mailed to H. Edward Snodgrass on Oct. 6 — a day after the 78-year-old retired businessman died." Wait, it's another Republican. Never mind. (Grokked from Fred Clark)
"Three years of probation, 40 hours of community service and $500… That is the punishment federal prosecutors have requested for the first Capitol rioter expected to be sentenced in court, Anna Morgan-Lloyd, a 49-year-old Donald Trump supporter from Indiana."
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