March Was Warmest On Record In US

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March Was Warmest on Record in US (Maria)

The author writes, “Last month was the warmest March in records for the contiguous United States in national-scale data going back 132 years, according to NOAA’s monthly US climate summary issued on April 8. The crowning event was a two-week heat wave that smashed thousands of daily and monthly heat records at hundreds of locations around the country.”

How a Deported California Mother Overcame the Trump Administration in 40 Days (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “As immigration officers arrested her six weeks ago, through tears and a rushed goodbye, Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez had a request for her daughter. ‘Call Nick.’ Neeraj Paul, who goes by Nick, had known her for nearly 20 years. He first hired Estrada Juarez, 42, as a cashier for his Sacramento gas station. She later became his regional motel manager, earning Paul’s trust with her work ethic and sincerity. Over time, their relationship grew. She babysat his children and attended family parties. Paul and Estrada Juarez now consider each other family. … What followed was a 40-day, nationwide effort to fight back against President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. Estrada Juarez drew national headlines, won a federal lawsuit against the government and ultimately reunited with her daughter at the San Ysidro Port of Entry — the busy pedestrian border crossing between Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego.”

Hegseth’s War on America’s Military (Dana)

From The Atlantic: “The United States is in the middle of a major war, but that didn’t stop Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth from firing General Randy George, America’s most senior Army officer. George was the Army’s chief of staff, and he was cashiered along with another four-star general, David Hodne, and Major General William Green Jr., the top Army chaplain, in what has been a rolling purge by Hegseth of senior officers — particularly those close to the secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll. Why were these men fired while US forces are fighting overseas? The Defense Department has given no official reason for their dismissals, but likely they are the latest victims of Hegseth’s vindictive struggles with the Army, which he feels treated him poorly — the service ‘spit me out,’ he said in his 2024 book — as he struggles in a job for which he remains singularly unqualified.”

Sam Altman May Control Our Future — Can He Be Trusted? (DonkeyHotey)

From The New Yorker: “In the fall of 2023, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s chief scientist, sent secret memos to three fellow-members of the organization’s board of directors. For weeks, they’d been having furtive discussions about whether OpenAI’s CEO and Greg Brockman, his second-in-command, were fit to run the company. Sutskever had once counted both men as friends. In 2019, he’d officiated Brockman’s wedding, in a ceremony at OpenAI’s offices that included a ring bearer in the form of a robotic hand. But as he grew convinced that the company was nearing its long-term goal — creating an artificial intelligence that could rival or surpass the cognitive capabilities of human beings — his doubts about Altman increased. As Sutskever put it to another board member at the time, ‘I don’t think Sam is the guy who should have his finger on the button.’”

How to Reduce Your Exposure to Pesticides (Laura)

The author writes, “When Melissa Furlong, an environmental health researcher at the University of Arizona, asks people whether they use pesticides, they often say no. Many think of the chemicals as serious treatments for home infestations or on farms. But people often come into contact with pesticides in everyday life without realizing it. Household bug sprays, lawn treatments and flea and tick repellents for pets can all be sources of exposure. So can unwashed produce. Spinach, kale, strawberries and grapes top the list of produce most contaminated with pesticides, according to a report released Tuesday by the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization. Scientists still don’t know what amount of pesticide exposure, if any, could be considered safe, Dr. Furlong said, noting that ‘it took 70 years of research on lead before we figured out there’s no safe exposure.’ But many of these chemicals have been linked to serious health issues in observational studies.”

This Invention To Help Older Adults Is So Right, It Seems Obvious (Russ)

The author writes, “By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65. Already, 1 in 4 adults are caregivers, and nearly 30 percent of caregivers are part of the sandwich generation supporting both young children and aging parents. These realities are placing increasing pressure on families, many of whom are trying to care for relatives remotely. Thankfully, this is one area where technology can offer transformative solutions. One such ‘age tech’ innovation makes use of a near-ubiquitous household item: the television. Ashish Aggarwal, a technology entrepreneur who founded the company JubileeTV, told me that the covid pandemic highlighted both the importance of social connection and the difficulties of caring for older adults.”

Sharks in the Bahamas Test Positive for Caffeine, Painkillers and Even Cocaine, Study Finds (Mili)

From CBS News: “Sharks in the Bahamas are consuming substances including caffeine, painkillers and even cocaine, according to a new study by marine scientists who say it could potentially impact the animals’ health and behavior. The research team, made up of marine biologists and scientists from a variety of international programs, analyzed blood samples from 85 sharks of five different species. The sharks were captured about four miles off the coast of a remote island and their blood levels were tested for 24 legal and illegal drugs. Twenty-eight of the sharks had detectable levels of caffeine, two common over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkillers, or, in one instance, cocaine in their blood, according to the study. Some tested positive for more than one substance.”