curated citations to news sources
Caleb Ecarma: Musk’s Neuralink falsified federal forms, claims to qualify for racial diversity program
The company, owned by the world’s wealthiest man, says it is a “small disadvantaged business”
On April 24, Elon Musk’s $9 billion neurotechnology company falsely self-certified as a “small disadvantaged business” (SDB) on a federal filing, a designation that qualifies the company for preferential treatment as part of a racial and ethnic diversity initiative.
The SDB designation can also only be legally claimed by companies owned by “economically disadvantaged individuals.”
Neuralink, which is developing implantable brain-computer interfaces, registered with the government as an SDB while Musk leveraged his position at the White House to cut federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
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John Pavlovitz: Confessions of a Radical, Woke Leftist
Whew, this is a tough one to write, but I’ll try to get it out if you’ll bear with me.
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I confess that the Woke Mind Virus has left me empathetic toward suffering, welcoming of diversity, generous toward those with less, allergic to discrimination, sickened by bigotry, and intolerant of intolerance.
(John Pavlovitz more…)
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Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American – July 19, 2025
On July 20, 1969, U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped from Lunar Module Eagle to the surface of the Moon. One hundred and twenty-five million Americans—63% percent of the population—were watching on live television as Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon.
(Heather Cox Richardson more…)
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emptywheel: The Secrets about Russia’s Influence Operation that Tulsi Gabbard Is Still Keeping from Us
…So not only can we see what secrets about Russia’s 2016 interference Director Tulsi wants to keep from us, but we can compare the classified version with the publicly-released version to see what was sensitive in 2017 but no longer is.
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NPR – Camila Domonoske: The U.S. has millions of old gas and oil wells. Here’s what it takes to plug them up
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“Grass didn’t grow,” Burns said. “The pine trees kept dying. And there was another tree that sat there, and it died.”Leaks from defunct oil and gas wells are a problem for more than just plant life. The chemicals that leach up from deep underground, including benzene and arsenic, can harm human health and leach into water reservoirs. And any remaining natural gas that works its way into the atmosphere contributes to global warming. Natural gas is almost entirely composed of methane, a greenhouse gas that’s far more potent than carbon dioxide.
Millions of oil and gas wells have been drilled in the U.S. since the oil industry was launched in the 1800s. A small number of those might conceivably be repurposed for something else — making geothermal power, for instance. But the vast majority will someday need to be plugged.
Doing that properly is neither easy nor cheap. And if plugging isn’t done properly, it might not last — as Burns discovered.
(NPR – Camila Domonoske more…)NPR – Camila Domonoske: Defunct oil wells are a national problem. Finding them is the first step
Wired: The EVs We’ve LostThe EVs We’ve Lost
Shifts in economic policy and manufacturing have led major automakers to cancel upcoming electric vehicle launches in the US
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Ruth Ann Crystal MD: COVID & Health News, 7/19/25
Dean Blundell: “Freedom Sores” and Faith-Based Failure: How Alberta Became the Measles Capital of the World
The Canadian province of Alberta has officially surpassed the United States in the number of confirmed measles cases.
Let that sink in. Alberta — with just 4.6 million people — now leads North America in a disease we eliminated in the 1990s. The province has racked up 1,407 active measles cases, compared to 1,309 for the entire U.S.
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Allison Gill: I’m Suing the DOJ for ALL the Epstein Grand Jury Material
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I need to acknowledge that these grand jury transcripts are but a tiny part of the entire Epstein/Maxwell case file, and that what’s released – if anything – will likely be heavily redacted. And that’s even if a judge allows it. There are tons of documents the administration doesn’t need a court’s permission to release, and they could release those right now. But that’s not the point of this exercise. We’re trying to strip the administration of any excuse they might have for hiding the names of perpetrators and clients. Trump would like to blame the court for that, and I’d prefer they aren’t able to.
(Allison Gill more…)Ken Klippenstein: Epstein Won’t Die
Trump names me in his lawsuit against WSJ for story on Jeffrey Epstein letter
(Ken Klippenstein more…)
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Daily Beast: ICE Secretly Deported Grandpa, 82, Over Lost Green Card
FROZEN OUT
Luis Leon’s family says someone called and told them that he had died, though he was later found alive.
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AP: Texas Republicans aim to redraw House districts at Trump’s urging, but there’s a risk
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Thom Hartmann: Invest in American manufacturing
Timeline: Tracking the Trump Justice Department’s Anti-Voting Shift
Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda
Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda
Trump Pardons Database
Project 2025 Tracker
DOGE Tracker
ProPublica: Elon Musk’s Demolition Crew
Wired: 6 Tools for Tracking the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Civil Liberties
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