Reading archive 2024-08-06

This High Schooler Invented an A.I.-Powered Trap That Zaps Invasive Lanternflies: Using solar power, machine learning and her family’s patio umbrella, 18-year-old Selina Zhang created a synthetic tree that lures the destructive species

I Put Up a Fence in Maine. Why Did It Cause Such a Fuss?

Harris chooses Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as VP pick: Walz, who has a record of winning over rural conservative voters, is little-known on the national stage.

EPA takes emergency action to stop use of dangerous pesticide: The pesticide, known as DCPA, is known to harm fetuses and “needs to be removed from the market immediately,” an EPA official said.

How I fed my family for days with food that was bound for the trash: A new generation of apps are rescuing food from the landfills at a fraction of the retail price at restaurants and grocery stores.

Opinion How to harden our defenses against an authoritarian president: A commander in chief with little concern for legal limits holds a big advantage over any lawful effort to restrain him.

Trump keeps attacking their spouses. Top GOPers keep supporting him anyway.: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is the latest to find a family member in Donald Trump’s crosshairs.

RFK Jr. says he left a dead bear in Central Park as a joke a decade ago: In 2014, New York City authorities were baffled by the appearance of a dead bear cub in the park. Now the presidential candidate says he was responsible.

‘Ultra-cheap energy for every household’: could a different kind of tariff change everything? Rising block tariffs and national energy guarantee systems are almost unknown in Europe – but are flourishing elsewhere - "The idea is simple: the first block of energy, which is calculated to meet essential needs from heating to cooking and lighting, is either given at a reduced rate or free. The cost a unit then rises in additional blocks, meaning wealthier homes with excessive or non-essential consumption pay more."

The future of paper could come from gene-edited trees: Scientists are working to develop a tree that could ease the production of paper, resulting in less energy use and less pollution. - "The result: They cut the lignin content in some of those varieties almost in half. They also were able to boost the concentration of cellulose — the key ingredient in paper production — compared with lignin, making the trees better for pulping. The team published their findings last year in the prestigious journal Science."

I’m an oncologist. Here’s what I do to reduce my own cancer risk.: A recent study estimated that 40 percent of new cancer diagnoses in U.S. adults were due to modifiable factors such as diet and lifestyle.

Secretaries of state urge Musk to fix AI chatbot spreading false election info: Grok, the AI search assistant on Musk’s X platform, suggested that Kamala Harris had missed the ballot deadline in nine states. She hasn’t.

Boys are flocking to gymnastics classes, thanks to pommel horse guy: Representation matters in all forms, especially when an Olympic athlete like Stephen Nedoroscik is so relatable.

With Vance’s elevation, Pennsylvania voters reexamine Trump’s views on women: “Now that you’ve got Kamala in there, you’ve got a whole different ballgame,” one independent Pennsylvania voter said.

Opinion Republicans suddenly love crypto. Americans should beware. The cryptocurrency lobby is lining up behind Donald Trump. Voters should see nothing good in this.

Taiwan is readying citizens for a Chinese invasion. It’s not going well.: The government extended mandatory military service and revamped reservist training in an effort to make Beijing think twice. But it’s already falling short. - "While President Biden has repeatedly said he would send the U.S. military to defend Taiwan, Trump has made no such promises. Asked what he would do in an interview last month, Trump said that Taiwan was “9,500 miles away” and should pay for American defense."

Opinion How the broken immigration system is pushing skilled workers to enter illegally

Ex-GOP congressman Riggleman endorses Harris, rips Trump’s ‘thirst for power’: The former congressman was twice endorsed by Donald Trump but broke with him over Jan. 6.

Opinion  Trump seems to forget it’s not 2016 anymore. And he’s frustrated.: After nine long years, his old way of campaigning just isn’t going to cut it.

JD Vance’s Marine buddies back his service over his politics: Critics call his about-face on Trump an affront to the military’s most basic values. His friends say attacks on his service are out of bounds.

Opinion  The NABJ interview with Trump provides a model for media coverage No other sit-down this cycle has laid bare as much about the candidate. - "The mainstream media now faces a test of sorts. After the June 27 debate, the media spent three weeks flooding the zone with coverage of Biden’s frailty, in effect demanding every Democrat to defend Biden or distance themselves from him, and consulting a host of experts on aging. Failure to deploy similarly exacting treatment of Trump would confirm Democrats’ complaints that there is a bizarre double standard in coverage that allows Trump to escape appropriate scrutiny. It’s long past time to stop using euphemisms and soft-pedaling his bigotry. (As I have noted, the vast majority of outlets also have steered clear of assessing Trump’s mental and emotional state, despite repeated episodes in which his slurred speech, verbal glitches, incoherent ranting, mixing up people and bizarre references are obvious to anyone watching.)"

Why are humans such good distance runners? Science offers an answer.: At Paris Olympics, abundant sweat glands, little body hair, arched soles and spring-like Achilles tendons prime endurance runners to excel. - "We have physical features that are unusual or unknown in the rest of the animal kingdom, including abundant sweat glands, relatively little body hair, arched soles and springlike Achilles tendons. We have an abundance of slow-twitch fibers that are efficient for endurance pursuits. (Fast-twitch muscles are better for sprinting.)"

Opinion  Why not run a team against Trump? Kamala Harris should borrow from the best comic books and get a band together.