Run the joules
Yesterday, the Supreme Court continued dismantling the Voting Rights Act—and with it Black voting power—and some states are now rushing to redraw their maps before November. / The Guardian
See also: The decision “is likely to eliminate any remaining concerns political parties may have that the Supreme Court might push back if states draw maps too obviously rigged in their favor.” / Vox [$]
The White House wants to slash benefits for disabled Supplemental Security Income recipients living with relatives who receive SNAP benefits. / ProPublica
“Tax cuts aren’t a great way to handle high prices. They’re inflationary: They cause high prices.” Is nobody going to pay taxes now? / The Atlantic [$]
Trump just stuck his face on a new US passport design, but only at the Washington Passport Agency, while other locations will still issue the current design. / Hyperallergic
Energy use changed in 2025 in two significant ways: Fossil fuel use plateaued—without a recession—and growing electricity demand was met with renewables. / Grist
“There aren’t many 120-year-old machines that most Americans use every day — but the power grid is one of them.” America isn’t prepared for the age of electricity. / The New York Times [$]
Unrelated: Armed with a battery tester, scientists identify static electricity as the one of the main culprits for why it’s so hard to brew a consistent cup of coffee. / Ars Technica
Barred for sale in the US, Chinese EVs are available in Mexico, and a car dealer five miles from El Paso is showing Americans what they’re missing. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
The US Geological Survey just discovered enough lithium in the Carolinas, Maine, and New Hampshire to replace 328 years of imports. / Gizmodo
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Residents of Archibald, Pa., are fighting to stop the construction of six massive data centers that would eat up 14% of the surface area in a town of just 7,000 people. / Futurism, The Washington Post [$]
“Trying to isolate and construct elaborate workflows around your fairly simple routines makes you feel like a Richard Scarry character with a cartoon job in Busytown.” John Herrman tries OpenClaw. / Intelligencer
Fostering “the correct attitude” may be why companies are more comfortable laying off 20% of their workers than asking them to work 20% less. / A Working Library
See also: Why AI companies want you to be afraid of them. / BBC
Where upmarket builders find workarounds to the British Standards Institution’s regulations against larger windows, less prosperous areas are left out. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
In a study, researchers say the eerie feelings people may experience in old houses could be due to inaudible sounds from aged plumbing. / The Guardian
Please send me away to Cursor Camp. / Neal dot fun
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