“The burden of this pandemic now rests on the shoulders of the unvaccinated,” writes Anita Sircar. “On those who are eligible to get vaccinated, but choose not to, a decision they defend by declaring, ‘vaccination is a deeply personal choice.’ But perhaps never in history has anyone’s personal choice impacted the world as a whole as it does right now.”
LaunchUnited States is among nations with highest rate of new Covid-19 cases
“The United States remains among nations with the highest rate of new Covid-19 cases, driven mostly by a surge in the South, where many states are lagging in getting people vaccinated against the coronavirus,” Aya Elamroussi reports.
LaunchJuly was the hottest month ever recorded, NOAA says
“It’s been a summer of sweltering heat waves and raging wildfires, and now it’s confirmed: July 2021 was the hottest month on Earth since record-keeping began,” Li Cohen reports.
LaunchThe 2020 U.S. Census data is out, and here’s what it says about fast-growing Idaho
“Idaho’s population has reached about 1.8 million and rose 17.3% in the past decade, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data. That spike makes it the second-fastest-growing state in the U.S., trailing only a neighbor to the south, Utah,” Hayat Norimine reports.
LaunchDr. Seuss warned us fifty years ago, but we didn’t listen to ‘The Lorax’
“He’s describing what we would now call a ‘trophic cascade,’ and for me, as a scientist, I just find that genius that he anticipated that concept by a decade or more,” anthropologist and evolutionary biologist Nathaniel Dominy told NPR.
LaunchBernie Sanders lost his fight to be president. But now he’s written a budget that could secure his legacy.
“Sanders, just weeks from his eightieth birthday, is on the cusp of leaving an indelible mark on the federal government, having shepherded a $3.5 trillion spending blueprint through the Senate this week,” The Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis reports.
LaunchSiberia’s wildfires are bigger than all the world’s other blazes combined
“Siberia is so vast that huge fires can burn without threatening any major settlements, transportation systems or infrastructure — but are still part of a swath of infernos that together are larger than all the other blazes around the world,” Robyn Dixon reports.
LaunchWhy ‘moderation’ doesn’t guarantee electoral success for Biden and the Democrats
“The reality is that politics is complex and somewhat unpredictable — with a lot of voters who are regularly changing or just forming views on issues and also changing who they vote for or whether they vote in the first place,” Perry Bacon Jr. writes.
LaunchWill we ever amend the Constitution again?
In this important opinion piece, New York Times editorial board member Jesse Wegman resurrects some of the writings of the Founders to make the point that they would never have expected the Constitution they drafted in the 1780s to have lasted for over two hundred and thirty years with only twenty-seven changes.
LaunchCori Bush steers progressives to win on eviction crisis
“Bush has led a one-woman protest on the Capitol steps over the last several days that forced the eviction crisis to the top of the nation’s agenda even after the House left town without taking action on the issue,” Politico notes.
LaunchThey spurned the vaccine. Now they want you to know they regret it.
“People who once rejected the vaccine or simply waited too long are now grappling with the consequences, often in raw, public way,” The New York Times’ Jack Healy reports.
Launch‘Something needs to be fixed here’: Three Houston-area chemical leaks in one month raise calls for faster federal action
So much for don’t mess with Texas: “A slate of proposed revisions to federal chemical safety rules could have prevented the leaks, but the changes have been stalled for years,” Dominic Anthony Walsh reports.
LaunchEnormous Bootleg Fire sends smoke entire length of Oregon
Via CBS: “There were about eighty active large fires and complexes of multiple blazes in the U.S., the National Interagency Fire Center tweeted late Sunday. The U.S. Forest Service said at least sixteen major fires were burning in the Pacific Northwest alone.”
LaunchApple cofounder Steve Wozniak publicly backs right to repair
“I believe the companies inhibit it because it gives the companies power, control, over everything. And I guess in a lot of people’s minds, power over others equates to money and profits,” Wozniak said in a video.
LaunchWithout climate damage, record Pacific Northwest heat wave would have been near impossible, researchers say
“Climate scientists who were not involved in the research say the work holds up to scrutiny,” Seattle Times reporter Evan Bush writes. He interviewed the Washington State climatologist and assistant state climatalogist for his story.
LaunchAppalachian COVID deniers anger nurses in Virginia
Jamie Swift, a registered nurse who oversees infection prevention at Johnston Memorial Hospital, a rural healthcare provider in The Old Dominion, is very familiar with covidiots. In her community, they’re everywhere.
LaunchTrees are the key to reducing heat deaths in urban areas, scientists say
In the words of Brian Stone: “Trees are, quite simply, the most effective strategy, technology, we have to guard against heat in cities.”
LaunchWhy the projected path for hurricanes and tropical storms doesn’t always tell the full story
“What the forecast path does not show is that significant impacts from a tropical storm or hurricane, including flooding rainfall, storm surge, strong winds and tornadoes, can occur well outside of where this so-called cone is plotted on a map,” The Weather Channel’s Chris Dolce explains.
LaunchThe newest Trump social networking play is tied to a Bannon-allied Chinese billionaire
“GETTR has existed as a Chinese language social media network linked to Guo Wengui,” Politico reports. “It was unveiled as a new platform by Jason Miller on Thursday.”
LaunchThe Beltway isn’t used to the left setting the agenda on Capitol Hill
“That’s why they freaked out over Democrats linking two separate infrastructure bills,” David Dayen writes. “But to succeed, the left must also erase privatization from the agenda.”
LaunchPortland and Seattle shatter records amid historic heat wave
The Washington Post has taken note of the Pacific Northwest’s extreme weather, observing: “Portland hit 108, an all-time mark, and Seattle 102, a record for June. Loads of new records are anticipated Sunday in the Pacific Northwest as it turns even hotter.”
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