As the American epoch of oil is collapsing, fossil fuel fascists are trying to turn back the clock

As the American epoch of oil is collapsing, fossil fuel fascists are trying to turn back the clock

Jonathan Watts writes: “Farewell,” the flag-waving Chinese children chanted to Donald Trump as he strolled along the red carpet back to Air Force One at the end of his summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing. The US leader claimed he was leaving with a cluster of “fantastic” trade deals to sell US oil, jets and soya beans to China. That has not been confirmed by his smiling host, but one thing was crystal clear from the two days of meetings:…

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Can the Israel lobby ‘come in and take out a Republican who’s skeptical of Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies?’

Can the Israel lobby ‘come in and take out a Republican who’s skeptical of Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies?’

Politico reports: The pro-Israel lobby that’s pumped millions into Democratic primaries this year is facing the next test of its political power on the right in ruby-red Kentucky. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and other pro-Israel interest groups have uncorked over $9 million in a bid to unseat Republican Rep. Thomas Massie on Tuesday in a competitive primary that has shattered spending records. Prominent pro-Israel GOP donors have funneled millions more into a super PAC stood up by President…

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Iran eyes a new source of power deep beneath the Strait of Hormuz

Iran eyes a new source of power deep beneath the Strait of Hormuz

CNN reports: Emboldened by its successful wartime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is turning to one of the hidden arteries in the global economy: subsea cables beneath the waterway that carry vast internet and financial traffic between Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Republic wants to charge the world’s largest tech companies for using the subsea internet cables laid under the Strait of Hormuz, and state-linked media outlets have vaguely threatened that traffic could be disrupted…

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Christian nationalists gather in Washington to wage ‘spiritual war’

Christian nationalists gather in Washington to wage ‘spiritual war’

The New York Times reports: Thousands of people gathered on the National Mall on Sunday for a daylong rally blending Christian prayer and political fervor, a gathering President Trump had touted as an opportunity to “rededicate America as one nation under God.” The crowds came to the heart of Washington to hear from spiritual and elected leaders and members of Mr. Trump’s cabinet. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appeared in a recorded video message, early in the day, exhorting the…

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Thieves are cloning trucks and blowing up pipelines to steal $1 billion in Texas crude oil every year

Thieves are cloning trucks and blowing up pipelines to steal $1 billion in Texas crude oil every year

Moneywise reports: West Texas is losing roughly a billion dollars in crude oil each year to theft — and the people taking it have gotten good enough that they clone service trucks, launder barrels through brokers and occasionally blow up the pipeline they’re trying to rob. “It’s like any other commodity,” Jim Wright, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, told Texas Public Radio. “When the price is high, they just get sexier.” With oil prices elevated by the Iran war…

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A quantum computing deadline looms. It threatens to kick off the worst cybersecurity crisis ever

A quantum computing deadline looms. It threatens to kick off the worst cybersecurity crisis ever

CNN reports: The clock is ticking on Q-Day, the looming yet unknown date when quantum computing will have the capacity to quickly and easily break the encryption keys that keep most internet communication safe. Experts have known about the hypothetical risk of Q-Day since the 1990s. But Google recently warned that quantum computers may be able to hack some encrypted systems by 2029 — a timeline that drastically narrows the window to safeguard data that many cybersecurity specialists had previously…

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A vast meshwork of soil-bound fungi governs life aboveground

A vast meshwork of soil-bound fungi governs life aboveground

Max G. Levy writes: One Tuesday in June 2025, a white Chevy Suburban set off down the northernmost highway in North America. The sun of Alaska’s polar summer hadn’t set in 40 days, and it wouldn’t set again for another 35. But for Michael Van Nuland, the biologist in the driver’s seat, time was already running out. The SUV, packed with four days of fieldwork essentials — rubber boots for mucking in marshes, GPS for centimeter-level precision, a steel tube…

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Israel is dividing Republicans, poll finds

Israel is dividing Republicans, poll finds

Politico reports: The Republican Party is starting to splinter over support for Israel — and President Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters are largely aligned with the embattled U.S. ally. New results from The POLITICO Poll find that self-identified “MAGA” Trump voters are more supportive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its relationship with the U.S. than those who don’t identify as MAGA but still voted for the president. Nearly half of MAGA Trump voters say they back Israel and…

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Trump uses Taiwan arms sales as bargaining chip with China, in a risky move

Trump uses Taiwan arms sales as bargaining chip with China, in a risky move

The New York Times reports: President Trump has described a potential multibillion-dollar weapons sale to Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” with China, raising new doubts about the pace and scale of American military support for the island democracy. Taiwan’s government has been waiting for months for Mr. Trump to sign off on a $14 billion package of missiles, anti-drone equipment and air-defense systems intended to fortify the island against Beijing’s military threats. Mr. Trump himself had pressured Taiwan to spend…

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As global crises multiply, scores of American diplomats say they have been forced out

As global crises multiply, scores of American diplomats say they have been forced out

CNN reports: Amid ongoing foreign policy crises around the globe and as the Trump administration struggles to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, the State Department last week finalized the firings of nearly 250 foreign service officers in a brief, impersonal email. “Your reduction in force separation will be effective today,” part of it read. “Thank you again for your service to the Department.” Those reductions in force (RIFs), which were initiated last July, also impacted more…

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Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds

Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds

The Guardian reports: The Pentagon has quietly dismantled a program it is legally required to operate to prevent and respond to civilian deaths in US military operations, according to its internal watchdog. A report released by the department’s inspector general concluded the US military no longer has the people, tools or infrastructure needed to comply with two federal statutes requiring it to maintain a functioning civilian casualty policy, and operate a Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (CP CoE). Donald Trump’s…

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Political money is flowing to influencers. But who’s paying?

Political money is flowing to influencers. But who’s paying?

The New York Times reports: Last month, Carlos Eduardo Espina, a progressive influencer, revealed a surprising endorsement to his 14.5 million followers on TikTok: He would support Tom Steyer, the billionaire running for California governor as a Democrat. “I really believe Tom Steyer is different,” Mr. Espina said in a speech that he posted on social media. “He could be traveling around the world or doing whatever he wants, but he wants to serve the people of this state.” Unmentioned…

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Rising diesel costs from Iran war strain U.S. school budgets

Rising diesel costs from Iran war strain U.S. school budgets

Reuters reports: Soaring diesel prices since the onset of the Iran war are draining already tight U.S. school district budgets, making it more expensive to bus students and run generators in a shock officials say they will not be ​able to afford for long. School districts from Yakima, Washington, to Waco, Texas, are tapping emergency funding reserves to keep buses running. In remote Alaska, officials are scrambling to secure enough ‌fuel to keep the lights on, according to Reuters interviews….

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The brain processes language even under anesthesia, a new study finds

The brain processes language even under anesthesia, a new study finds

Time reports: Nestled in the core of the brain is the hippocampus, a little curve of tissue central to memory and learning. It serves as a processing center for our experiences, helping organize information as it comes in. The hippocampus does that when we’re awake—and, a new study suggests, even when we’re unconscious. The small study, published recently in the journal Nature, drew on data from seven people who had surgery to remove portions of their brains as a treatment…

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