Yahoo! News
Poll: Half of Americans now predict U.S. may ‘cease to be a democracy’ someday
A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that most Democrats (55%) and Republicans (53%) now believe it is “likely” that America will “cease to be a democracy in the future” — a stunning expression of bipartisan despair about the direction of the country.
Half of all Americans (49%) express the same sentiment when independents and those who do not declare any political affiliation are factored in, while just a quarter (25%) consider the end of U.S. democracy unlikely and another quarter (25%) say they’re unsure.
At the same time, however, a large number of Americans seem indifferent to the high-profile hearings by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol — an effort to get to the bottom of one of the most dramatic assaults on the democratic process in U.S. history.
Reuters
More people are avoiding the news, and trusting it less, report says
A growing number of people are selectively avoiding important news stories such as the coronavirus pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the cost-of-living crisis, according to a report released on Tuesday.
While the majority of people surveyed consume news regularly, 38% said they often or sometimes avoid the news – up from 29% in 2017 – the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism said in its annual Digital News Report. Around 36% – particularly those under 35 – say that the news lowers their mood.
Trust in news is also declining, and is lowest in the United States. On average, 42% of people said they trust most news most of the time; that figure has fallen in almost half the countries in the report and risen in seven.
Stripes
US to send another $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine
The United States will send Ukraine another $1 billion in military aid, including additional artillery needed to battle Russian forces attacking in the eastern part of the country, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.
The package will include an undisclosed number of rocket system munitions, 18 M777 howitzers and tactical vehicles to tow them, 36,000 rounds of 155mm howitzer ammunition, two harpoon coastal defense systems, and “thousands of secure radios, night vision devices, thermal sights and other optics,” he said.
The aid will come out of the approximately $11 billion that Congress assigned for military aid in its supplemental funding bill to support Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion, he said.
The Kyiv Independent
Russian troops seize majority of embattled Sievierodonetsk, civilian evacuation continues despite complications
Even as the battle for Sievierodonetsk enters its critical stages and Russian forces storm into the fiercely contested city, Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said the evacuation of civilians still continues during every “quiet” moment.
After more than a month of heavy fighting, Russian troops control about 80% of Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai told the Associated Press on June 14. Moscow’s forces have destroyed all three bridges leading to the city, further complicating logistics and civilian evacuation efforts.
Mass civilian evacuation from the last major city in Luhansk Oblast under Ukrainian control now is “simply not possible” due to the relentless shelling and fighting, according to Haidai.
UNICEF
The situation of children in Ukraine
This is a summary of what was said by Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia …
“The numbers are staggering, and bear repeating. Nearly two-thirds of Ukraine’s children are displaced – whether displaced inside the country or those who have fled across borders as refugees. Children forced to leave homes, friends, toys and treasured belongings, family members and facing uncertainty about the future. This instability is robbing children of their futures – trauma and fear can have long-lasting impacts on children’s physical and mental health.
“According to the latest figures from colleagues at OHCHR, 277 children have been killed, with another 456 children injured, mostly due to the use of explosives in built-up, urban areas. This use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian infrastructure must stop. It is killing and maiming children and preventing them returning to any kind of normal life in the towns and cities that are their homes.
“At least 256 attacks on health care facilities and one in six UNICEF-supported ‘safe schools’ in the east of the country have been damaged or destroyed.
Bloomberg
Putin Has Reason to Slow-Walk a Ukraine Grain Deal
Senior European officials see little chance Russia is willing to ease global food pressures by striking a deal to let Ukraine resume crucial grain exports, saying the Kremlin views the crisis as leverage against Kyiv and its allies. […]
One of the people said the Kremlin had manufactured the debate as a means to get sanctions lifted and was intent on using the threat of global hunger as a bargaining tool in any future peace talks. The US has not sanctioned any Russian agricultural products in response to the war and says there is no link between the penalties on Moscow and grain or fertilizer exports from either Russia or Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion has caused untold human and economic destruction in Ukraine and forced millions of people to flee internally or into Europe. It has also triggered what many policy-makers warn could be a spiraling food crisis around the world by cutting off shipments of Ukrainian agricultural commodities, at a time prices are already rising and shortages are being felt as far afield as North Africa and Asia.
Xinhua
Xi talks with Putin over phone
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday afternoon held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. […]
The two heads of state also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Xi emphasized that China has always independently assessed the situation on the basis of the historical context and the merits of the issue, and actively promoted world peace and the stability of the global economic order.
All parties should push for a proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis in a responsible manner, Xi said, adding that China for this purpose will continue to play its due role.
Wired
Russia Is Taking Over Ukraine’s Internet
Web pages in the city of Kherson in south Ukraine stopped loading on people’s devices at 2:43 pm on May 30. For the next 59 minutes, anyone connecting to the internet with KhersonTelecom, known locally as SkyNet, couldn’t call loved ones, find out the latest news, or upload images to Instagram. They were stuck in a communications blackout. When web pages started stuttering back to life at 3:42 pm, everything appeared to be normal. But behind the scenes everything had changed: Now all internet traffic was passing through a Russian provider and Vladimir Putin’s powerful online censorship machine.
Since the end of May, the 280,000 people living in the occupied port city and its surrounding areas have faced constant online disruptions as internet service providers are forced to reroute their connections through Russian infrastructure…
The internet companies have been told to reroute connections under the watchful eye of Russian occupying forces or shut down their connections entirely, officials say. In addition, new unbranded mobile phone SIM cards using Russian numbers are being circulated in the region, further pushing people towards Russian networks. Grabbing control of the servers, cables, and cell phone towers—all classed as critical infrastructure—which allow people to freely access the web is considered one of the first steps in the “Russification” of occupied areas.
The Telegraph
Exclusive: US fighters ‘captured’ by Russian forces in Ukraine
Two former US servicemen have been captured during fighting with Russian forces in Ukraine, The Telegraph has learned.
The pair were taken prisoner during a fierce battle outside the north-east city of Kharkiv last week, according to comrades who were fighting alongside them.
Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, had been serving as volunteers with a regular Ukrainian army unit. They are believed to be the first US servicemen to end up as Russian prisoners of war. […]
A comrade of the two men, who asked not to be named, told The Telegraph they had been captured after running into a much larger Russian force during a battle last Thursday… less than five miles from the Russian border. […]
“We are not mercenaries, or part of some militia. We are serving under the command of the Ukrainian armed forces…“
Al Jazeera
UN chief slams ‘delusional’ fossil fuels dash amid Ukraine war
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accused some rich countries of having made a dangerous dash for fossil fuels in response to the war in Ukraine, warning the new investments being made in coal, oil and gas are “delusional” given their impact on climate change.
“The energy crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine has seen a perilous doubling down on fossil fuels by the major economies,” Guterres said in a video address on Tuesday to the Austrian World Summit, a climate conference held in Vienna. […]
Guterres said “new funding for fossil fuel exploration and production infrastructure is delusional” and will worsen the global problems of pollution and climate change.
The Guardian
New data reveals extraordinary global heating in the Arctic
New data has revealed extraordinary rates of global heating in the Arctic, up to seven times faster than the global average.
The heating is occurring in the North Barents Sea, a region where fast rising temperatures are suspected to trigger increases in extreme weather in North America, Europe and Asia. The researchers said the heating in this region was an “early warning” of what could happen across the rest of the Arctic.
The new figures show annual average temperatures in the area are rising across the year by up to 2.7C a decade, with particularly high rises in the months of autumn of up to 4C a decade. This makes the North Barents Sea and its islands the fastest warming place known on Earth.
Miami Herald
South Florida synagogue sues over Florida’s new 15-week abortion ban
A South Florida Jewish congregation has challenged a new state law that blocks abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, contending the measure violates privacy and religious-freedom rights.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Leon County circuit court by Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor, seeks to block the law from taking effect July 1. Abortion clinics also filed a lawsuit this month in Leon County challenging the constitutionality of the restriction.
Both cases include allegations that the law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April, violates a privacy right in the Florida Constitution that has long played a pivotal role in abortion cases in the state. But the lawsuit filed Friday by the Boynton Beach congregation also contends that the law violates religious-freedom rights.
McClatchy DC
Every state but Florida pre-ordered COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5
Every state has placed an order with the federal government to ensure coronavirus vaccines for young children are delivered as soon as regulators authorize their use — except for one.
Florida has yet to request delivery of COVID-19 pediatric vaccines for children under 5, missing yesterday’s deadline for pre-orders and guaranteeing a delay in access for parents across the state, according to two U.S. government sources.
All other 49 states placed pre-orders, which will be delivered in two tranches beginning as early as Monday to thousands of pediatrician’s offices, children’s hospitals, pharmacies and health centers across the country. Those facilities in Florida will not have access during this time and will remain without supply until Florida places an order.
NIH News Releases
NIAID Director Fauci Tests Positive for COVID-19
Today, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, tested positive for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test. He is fully vaccinated and has been boosted twice. He is currently experiencing mild symptoms. Dr. Fauci will isolate and continue to work from his home. He has not recently been in close contact with President Biden or other senior government officials.
Los Angeles Times
Being ‘fully vaccinated’ but not boosted doesn’t help against Omicron, study finds
Two shots of COVID-19 vaccine without an additional booster offer essentially no lasting protection against infection with Omicron, and a coronavirus infection is as effective as a recent booster shot in preventing a new Omicron-fueled illness, researchers reported Wednesday.
At the same time, any immunity to the highly contagious variant, either from infection or vaccination, appears to offer significant and lasting protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death, the researchers found. And if you haven’t had either the virus or the vaccine, doctors urged, it’s better to get the jab.
The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, provide some of the best understanding to date on the longevity of different types of coronavirus immunity and offer insight into the future of the pandemic.
The Washington Post
Ginni Thomas corresponded with John Eastman, sources in Jan. 6 House investigation say
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol has obtained email correspondence between Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and lawyer John Eastman, who played a key role in efforts to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to block the certification of Joe Biden’s victory, according to three people involved in the committee’s investigation.
The emails show that Thomas’s efforts to overturn the election were more extensive than previously known, two of the people said. The three declined to provide details and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The committee’s members and staffers are now discussing whether to spend time during their public hearings exploring Ginni Thomas’s role in the attempt to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, the three people said. The Washington Post previously reported that the committee had not sought an interview with Thomas and was leaning against pursuing her cooperation with its investigation.
NBC News
Court document in Proud Boys case laid out plan to occupy Capitol buildings on Jan. 6
A document, titled “1776 Returns,” which federal prosecutors said was used by the leader of the Proud Boys, lays out a plan to occupy Capitol buildings on Jan. 6, 2021, using covert operators to let "patriots" inside government offices in an apparent effort to force a new election. […]
The nine-page document, filed in federal court Wednesday, lays out a plan to fill buildings “with patriots and communicate our demands." It's stated goals include maintaining control "over a select few, but crucial buildings in the DC area for a set period of time" and getting as "many people as possible inside these buildings." […]
It demands a new election — "not a recount" — that involves "paper ballots only, no mail in ballots, no absentee ballots," with the National Guard monitoring the process.
The Dallas Morning News
Ted Cruz still peddling baseless conspiracy theory that FBI incited Jan. 6 riot
With House hearings underway on the Jan. 6 riot, Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday dusted off an ominous but unfounded conspiracy theory suggesting that the FBI incited the attack aimed at keeping Donald Trump in power.
“Is the kangaroo court in the House willing to press hard and get REAL answers as to what happened with the FBI on January 6? Or is this circus simply a failed Democrat campaign commercial?” Cruz tweeted to his 5.2 million followers.
The Texas Republican issued his challenge alongside video of his exchange with a senior FBI official during a February Senate hearing, at which he speculated that a former FBI informant had acted as an agent provocateur.
Cruz’s office provided no evidence, then or on Tuesday.
Politico
Judge rejects Bannon’s effort to dismiss criminal case for defying Jan. 6 select committee
A federal judge on Wednesday rejected former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s effort to dismiss the criminal contempt case against him for defying a subpoena from the Jan. 6 select committee.
In an oral ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols rebuffed a series of arguments Bannon had lodged, including that Trump had asserted executive privilege to block his former aide’s testimony. Nichols contended that there’s insufficient evidence that Trump truly did assert privilege or seek to block Bannon from testifying to the panel the House created to investigate the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and related events.
Nichols, a Trump appointee, also rejected Bannon’s claim that internal Justice Department opinions granted him “immunity” from a congressional subpoena for documents related to his contacts with Trump while Trump was in office.
AP News
Confederate flag-toting man, son convicted in Capitol riot
A federal judge on Wednesday convicted a Confederate flag-toting man and his son of charges that they stormed the U.S. Capitol together during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, to obstruct Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden delivered the verdict from the bench after hearing two days of testimony without a jury for the trial of Kevin Seefried and his adult son, Hunter.
McFadden convicted both Delaware men of a felony count: obstruction of an official proceeding, the joint session of Congress for certifying the Electoral College that day. […]
They will remain free pending separate sentencing hearings in September.
CBS News
Video shows GOP congressman leading tour of Capitol complex the day before Jan. 6 attack
The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol released new surveillance footage on Wednesday showing GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk leading a group of people on a tour of the Capitol complex the day before the attack, with some of the guests documenting locations like staircases, security checkpoints and hallways.
The committee asked Loudermilk last month for information about a tour he led of the Capitol complex before the assault. Loudermilk denied that he ever gave a tour of the Capitol itself on Jan. 5, when it was closed to tourists due to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
But the committee suggested otherwise in a letter to Loudermilk on Wednesday. The new footage shows the congressman leading "a tour of approximately ten individuals led by you to areas in the Rayburn, Longworth, and Cannon House Office Buildings, as well as the entrances to tunnels leading to the U.S. Capitol," Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson wrote. The group stayed for "several hours," he wrote, and some "photographed and recorded areas of the complex not typically of interest to tourists."
State Scoop
New Mexico secretary of state sues county commission refusing to certify vote
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to order a county commission to end its refusal to certify the results of the June 7 primary election, which has been held up because of the commission members’ stated distrust in vote-tabulation equipment.
While New Mexico’s 33 counties have until Friday to certify their results in last week’s vote, the three Republican commissioners in rural Otero County have refused to do so, citing their belief that the vote-counting devices manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems could manipulate ballots and alter the county. The claims are similar to those spouted after the 2020 presidential election, when supporters of … Donald Trump accused, without evidence, Dominion equipment of changing votes — one of the Otero commissioners, Couy Griffin, is awaiting sentencing for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. […]
In a press release, Toulouse Oliver defended the ballot-certification process and accused the Otero commissioners of spreading falsehoods and potentially disenfranchising voters.
Euronews
EU refuses to rule out suspending Brexit trade deal
The European Commission won't rule out suspending the EU-UK trade deal if the UK approves a draft bill that unilaterally overrides parts of the Brexit agreement.
… Maroš Šefčovič, the Commission's vice-president and leading Brexit negotiator, … announced the Commission would relaunch legal action against the UK.
"Our relation [with the UK] is very much based on trust," he added. "I have to say that with this draft bill, introduced after 18 months of discussions, trust is severely damaged."
Šefčovič's stark warning comes two days after Downing Street unveiled a draft bill to revoke certain elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the tailored-made regime that currently enables the trade of goods between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state.
The Missoulian
Northern Yellowstone blocked for season
It will take months, if not years, for Yellowstone National Park to recover from the cataclysmic flooding that’s ravaged the region over the past two days, the park’s top official said Tuesday.
The damage will keep the northern half of Yellowstone National Park closed to tourists for the rest of the summer, Superintendent Cam Sholly told reporters. The area includes the iconic Lamar Valley, Tower Falls and Mammoth Hot Springs.
The southern loop of Yellowstone National Park may reopen to visitors in a week or less, he added, using some type of reservation system or timed entry to control entry. Travel from Jackson, Wyoming, was already going to be hampered by road construction. Entrances that would be reopened for the southern loop include the East, South and West gates near Cody, Jackson and West Yellowstone, respectively.
CNN
More than a dozen US cities set daily high temperature records, including one that hit 103
At least 16 US cities set or tied records for their highest temperature for the date, with Macon, Georgia, hitting 103 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported. That was 3 degrees higher than the previous June 15 mark in Macon, set in 2010. […]
Even with temperatures easing a few degrees, particularly throughout the Upper Midwest, temperatures in much of the region will remain above normal, with areas of record-setting temperatures persisting into the latter part of the week.
On Thursday, temperatures are forecast to climb well above normal for much of the Great Basin, the Rockies and Southwest. An excessive heat warning has also been issued for parts of interior southern California and Arizona, where daytime highs are expected to soar once again well into the triple digits.
ABC News / AP
Residents improvise as Texas city rushes to turn water on
Residents of the West Texas city of Odessa improvised emergency water supplies after a water system outage left them high and dry for days amid scorching heat, even as utility crews scrambled Wednesday to restore normal service.
The city said taps in 165,000 homes and businesses lost pressure or went completely dry after a 24-inch (61-centimeter) main broke Monday afternoon. Odessa's water treatment plant was back online by about 8 a.m. Wednesday, but utility officials said it could take 12 to 14 hours to complete the “recharging” process, during which workers slowly add water back into the system to ensure there are no more leaks.
Temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in Odessa Wednesday as Texas and much of the United States faced extremely hot and humid conditions.
People
Republican Mayra Flores Flips House Seat in South Texas to Become First Mexican-Born Congresswoman
Republican Mayra Flores scored a big win for the GOP Tuesday in a special election in South Texas to fill a U.S. House seat left open by an outgoing Democrat.
"For over 100 years, we have been taken for granted," Flores said, declaring victory in a speech on Tuesday at a rally with supporters in San Benito, Texas, The Texas Tribune reports. "I will show you what real representation looks like. I will represent all people."
Houston Chronicle
Southern Baptists overwhelmingly adopt abuse reforms that leaders declined 14 years ago
Thousands of Southern Baptists overwhelmingly approved a landmark measure Tuesday to create a public database of accused sexual offenders to protect church members from predators — a tool that survivors have requested for years with no success. […]
The vote is the SBC’s most consequential response yet to Abuse of Faith, a 2019 investigation by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News that found hundreds of SBC church leaders and volunteers have been criminally charged with sex crimes since 2000.
It also follows an explosive investigation released last month that found a small group of influential Southern Baptist leaders had routinely silenced and disparaged sexual abuse survivors over the past two decades, ignored their calls to stop predators and had secretly maintained an internal list of accused offenders at churches while publicly stating that the SBC couldn’t publish such a resource for the public.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For Herschel Walker, revelation of second son is the latest in string of controversies
Even in a campaign filled with head-spinning news, the latest revelation is a shocker: Herschel Walker, who has spoken out repeatedly against absentee dads, fathered a son who he financially supports but doesn’t see.
On Wednesday, Walker’s campaign sought to downplay news of a second son.
The Texas Tribune
Ted Cruz is skeptical about red flag provision in federal bipartisan deal on guns
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday weighed in on the bipartisan Senate gun deal that is being championed by fellow Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
Cruz told reporters on Capitol Hill that he was waiting for the details of the legislation before making up his mind. But he expressed concerns about aspects of the proposal that would encourage states to pass red flag laws, while calling efforts to boost school safety a “natural avenue for bipartisan agreement.” […]
Cruz is one of the top recipients of NRA donations in the Senate and … touts an A+ rating from the NRA…
Marin Independent Journal
Study: California ‘red flag’ law may have stopped 58 gun massacres
With Congress poised to expand red flag laws nationally in response to outrage over deadly mass shootings, a new study reveals how California’s six-year-old law is making an impact: It disarmed 58 people who were threatening a gun massacre.
The study by the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California-Davis is the first detailed description of California’s gun violence restraining order cases in the state since the law was enacted in 2016.
Business Insider
To fight sky-high inflation, the Federal Reserve just raised interest rates three times faster than usual — and the most since since 1994
The Federal Reserve escalated its fight against inflation again on Wednesday, passing the largest one-time rate increase since 1994.
The central bank lifted its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percentage points following the conclusion of its June policy meeting. The rate's range now sits between 1.50% and 1.75%, matching the range seen just before the pandemic crash of early 2020. The hike marks the Fed's first 75 basis point hike since 1994 and escalates policymakers' more aggressive effort to cool inflation.
"The Committee decided to raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 1.5% to 1.75% percent and anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate," the Fed said in a statement.
The New York Times
Biden slaps oil companies for profiteering at the pump.
President Biden chastised some of the largest oil companies for profiteering off surging energy prices and “worsening that pain” for consumers, as he increased the pressure on them to boost refining capacity and bring down costs at the pump.
With the average price of gas in the United States topping $5 a gallon for the first time, Mr. Biden pointed the finger at energy firms in a letter to seven top executives dated Tuesday. He demanded that they explain their decision to limit refining capacity and announced that his administration would hold an “emergency meeting” to discuss ways of stemming the crisis.
“At a time of war, refinery profit margins well above normal being passed directly onto American families are not acceptable,” Mr. Biden said in the letter. “There is no question that Vladimir Putin is principally responsible for the intense financial pain the American people and their families are bearing. But amid a war that has raised gasoline prices more than $1.70 per gallon, historically high refinery profit margins are worsening that pain.”
Deutsche Welle
Fed may finally put America's zombie firms to rest
Among their ranks are many firms once synonymous with luxuriant American capitalism: Macy's, Boeing, Delta and American Airlines.
But many of these 'zombie companies' — unproductive firms that cannot pay their debt interests — may finally be put to rest, as ongoing interest rate hikes and balance sheet tightening by the Federal Reserve constrict access to the easy credit that was their lifeline.
"Any interest rate hike is going to be really, really tough for these companies," said Juan M. Grana, a researcher for the Argentine government and economics professor at the University of Buenos Aires.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Chesterfield to house Lego's only manufacturing facility in the U.S.
Lego plans to invest at least $1 billion to construct its only U.S.-based manufacturing plant in Chesterfield County…
The Virginia factory — a 1.7 million-square-foot giant that will be Lego’s seventh manufacturing facility in the world and supply the Americas — is estimated to create more than 1,700 jobs over 10 years and is projected to open for production by mid-2025. Construction, along with hiring, begins later this year, but an exact month has yet to be set. […]
The 90-year-old global toymaker hasn’t had a factory in North America since closing its first one in Enfield, Conn., nearly 15 years ago and shifting production to Mexico. With the U.S. a key market, the expansion’s goal is to shorten supply chain issues and reduce the company’s carbon footprint — a hefty goal that Lego Group CEO Niels B. Christiansen said hinges on reducing emissions by 37% by 2032.
Detroit Free Press
EPA: No level of nonstick PFAS compounds in water is safe for public health
No level of two common PFAS compounds is safe in drinking water over a lifetime of exposure, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday as it revised drinking water health advisories to account for the substances.
Industries and consumer products have used PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, since the mid-20th century for their nonstick and water-resistant properties. They were found in Teflon cookware, Gore-Tex jackets and boots, fast food containers and even in toothpaste. But the qualities that made the compounds useful also means they don't break down in nature.
PFAS now contaminates the blood of 99% of Americans and pollutes most of the globe.
Ars Technica
Senate bill would ban data brokers from selling location and health data
A bill introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) would prohibit data brokers from selling Americans' location and health data, Warren's office said Wednesday.
"Largely unregulated by federal law, data brokers gather intensely personal data such as location data from seemingly innocuous sources including weather apps and prayer apps—oftentimes without the consumer's consent or knowledge," a bill summary said. "Then, brokers turn around and sell the data in bulk to virtually any willing buyer, reaping massive profits."
Citing the draft Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Warren said "it is more crucial than ever for Congress to protect consumers' sensitive data."