Hidden Problem May Slow Ozone Layer Recovery

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Hidden Problem May Slow Ozone Layer Recovery (Maria)

The author writes, “The ozone layer has been on track to recover thanks to the Montreal Protocol — but a loophole may be holding it back. Chemicals still permitted for industrial use are leaking into the atmosphere at higher rates than expected. Scientists estimate this could delay ozone recovery by up to seven years. Closing this gap could speed up healing and reduce harmful UV exposure worldwide.”

ICE Went on a Hiring Spree. Sterling Credentials Were Not Required, AP Investigation Finds (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “Their backgrounds stand out. And not in a good way. Two bankruptcies and six law enforcement jobs in three years. An allegation of lying in a police report to justify a felony charge against an innocent woman — an incident that led to a $75,000 settlement and criticism of his integrity. A third job candidate once failed to graduate from a police academy, then lasted only three weeks in his only job as a police officer. Their common bond: All were hired recently by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an unprecedented hiring spree — 12,000 new officers and special agents to double its force — after the agency received a $75 billion windfall from Congress to enact President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.”

Massive Drone Wave Targets Russian Oil Refineries and Ports Across Five Regions (Sean)

From the Kyiv Post: “Overnight strikes ignited fires at multiple refineries in Samara and Krasnodar, while 27 drones targeted the Leningrad region as Ukraine intensifies pressure on Moscow’s energy exports.”

Nearly 1 in 4 People Seeking Abortions Out of State Chose Illinois. Here’s Why (Dana)

The author writes, “At Family Planning Associates in Chicago, in the office where staff take phone calls from potential abortion patients, a US map colored in with red and green dry-erase markers notes the latest status of abortion access in every state. The map can change at any time. In the center of the map’s biggest sea of red is Illinois, outlined in green — showing it’s a state with strong abortion access — surrounded by several states that ban or severely restrict abortion. Illinois is the destination for nearly 1 in 4 people traveling to another state for abortion care, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute, an advocacy and research organization that supports abortion access and tracks data nationwide. ‘Illinois really became kind of a haven state for the Midwest and much of the South immediately post-Dobbs,’ said Megan Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, which provides logistical and financial support to people who need abortions.”

I’m a Maine Reporter Who Went to High School With Graham Platner. Here’s What Explains His Success (DonkeyHotey)

From NOTUS: “In 2002, my classmate Graham Platner ran for student-body president of John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, Maine. I remember watching him in our auditorium debate his fellow candidates. He was the radical, wearing a revolutionary proletarian costume: overalls and a red armband. (When I asked him about this recently, he told me he thought he had a history presentation to give that day.) I don’t recall the issues they discussed, but I do remember Platner proposing collective action to overturn some school policy — saying something along the lines of, ‘They can’t suspend us all.’ The history teacher serving as moderator interjected to remind Platner and everyone else that, yes, in fact, they could. Students elected the safe candidate, a future chiropractor. But Platner had other outlets for his energy and ideas.”

With DEI Out of Favor, Some Push To Honor Jewish Philanthropist Behind 5,000 Black Schools (Reader Jim)

The author writes, “Lawmakers, archivists and activists seek recognition for Julius Rosenwald, the Sears exec who partnered with Booker T. Washington to fund education across the Jim Crow South in 1917-1932.”