One Sentence News / July 11, 2023
Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.
It’s toxic slime time on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee
Summary: Florida’s 730-square-mile Lake Okeechobee is increasingly plagued by algae blooms during the summer, producing water- and air-borne toxins potent enough to kill pets and to send local residents who catch a whiff of its vapors to the hospital.
Context: This is largely the consequence of the runoff of phosphorus-based fertilizers into the lake, as those fertilizers encourage the growth of this type of algae, and climate-related shifts to local weather conditions have amplified the algae’s range and strength; this lake also serves as an important reservoir for the region, which means this algae is funneled to nearby areas when lake levels get too high, which is often the case during Florida’s rainy season, which is just starting; at the moment, more than half the lake is already in full algae bloom, and it’s two feet higher than the United States Corps of Engineers likes to see it, which suggests there could be a huge influx of these blooms downstream from the lake in the coming weeks.
—The New York Times
French parliament passes law granting police eyes and ears into your phones
Summary: The French government has announced the passage of a new provision that gives police the legal ability to remotely activate the cameras, microphones, and GPS systems contained in phones, laptops, and cars owned by some criminal suspects.
Context: This provision primarily applies to people suspected of terrorism, delinquency, and organized crime, but there are concerns in the wake of significant and often violent crackdowns by police against protestors throughout the country, that these labels could be slapped on just about anyone, allowing the police to invade the privacy of French citizens at whim, and this has raised alarms within local and international human rights and civil liberty advocacy groups.
—Interesting Engineering
Macron blocks NATO outpost in Japan amid Chinese complaints
Summary: French President Macron has told NATO leadership that he opposes proposed plans to open up an office in Tokyo, which for now at least blocks the alliance’s soft-expansion into the region.
Context: NATO is a military alliance that was formed in Europe to oppose the expansion of the Soviet Union, and some members, including the French government, worry that including Japan as a pseudo-member of the group as part of a larger effort to box-in China during a period of its own expansionary ambitions, would commit them to declaring war on China in the event of potential near-future conflict over Taiwan—which is something they would, perhaps understandably, prefer to avoid.
—Politico
Young people in the US are taking on more credit card debt (often the most interest-heavy type of debt to accrue), and that’s true of Millennials to some degree, but Gen Xers are really feeling the pressure of inflationary costs of living right now, which has led to a large credit gap between them and other age demographics.
—The Wall Street Journal
$0.66
New price of a US stamp, as of last Sunday.
That’s an increase of three cents over the previous price, marking the second price-increase this year (the last one was in January) and a 13.8% increase over 2021’s price.
These increases are meant to help the (underfunded) USPS cope with the ever-inflating cost of delivering mail during an inflationary period, and a period in which competitors like Amazon and UPS are handling many of the country’s more lucrative package deliveries.
—The Wall Street Journal
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