‘Suddenly, Boom: It’s Completely Warm’: Summers Are Getting Longer

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‘Suddenly, Boom: It’s Completely Warm’: Summers Are Getting Longer, Study Finds (Maria)

The author writes, “Scientist Ted Scott felt summers in his home state, Minnesota, were not what they used to be. Working with University of British Columbia researchers, he set out to model how the average summer has changed in 10 global cities. The research  found what most people feel: summers, driven largely by human-caused global heating, arrive earlier, last longer and feel more intense. … It also found the season is extending an average of six days each decade  — and 15 days in Sydney.”

Trump’s Personnel Agency Is Asking for Federal Workers’ Medical Records (Reader Steve)

From KFF Health News: “The Trump administration is quietly seeking unprecedented access to medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, and their families. A brief notice from the Office of Personnel Management could dramatically change which personally identifiable medical information the agency obtains, giving it the power to see prescriptions employees had filled or what treatment they sought from doctors. The regulation would require 65 insurance companies that cover more than 8 million Americans — including federal workers, retired members of Congress, mail carriers, and their immediate family members — to provide monthly reports to OPM with identifiable health data on their members.”

What China Just Learned From the Iran War (Dana)

From The Atlantic: “China stands to learn a lot from the war in Iran. Red lines and deadlines imposed by the United States, even when backed by the threat of genocide, can turn out to be rather wobbly. The American military, despite its unrivaled power, has trouble swatting down swarms of cheap drones. But the most valuable lesson, at least for China’s ambitions to seize Taiwan, has more to do with the way the world’s supply chains, energy prices, and stock markets influence the U.S. willingness to fight.”

FBI Extracts Suspect’s Deleted Signal Messages Saved in iPhone Notification Database (Sean)

From 404 Media: “The FBI was able to forensically extract copies of incoming Signal messages from a defendant’s iPhone, even after the app was deleted, because copies of the content were saved in the device’s push notification database, multiple people present for FBI testimony in a recent trial told 404 Media. The case involved a group of people setting off fireworks and vandalizing property at the ICE Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas in July, and one shooting a police officer in the neck.”

Scientists Detect a Sudden Acceleration in Global Warming (Mili)

The author writes, “Global warming has picked up speed in the past decade, according to a new analysis from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). By removing short term natural influences such as El Niño, volcanic eruptions, and solar cycles from temperature records, researchers uncovered a clear acceleration in the planet’s long term warming trend beginning around 2015.”

Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Population Jumps 64%, Offering Hope for At-Risk Species (Laura)

The author writes, “The population of monarch butterflies in Mexico increased 64% this winter, compared with the same period in 2025, offering a glimmer of hope for an insect considered at risk of extinction. The figures, released this week by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mexico, showed that the area occupied by monarchs expanded to 2.93 hectares (7.24 acres) of forest from 1.79 hectares (4.42 acres) the previous winter, the largest coverage since 2018.”