Good news on democracy, species, bacteria, health
Let’s start with an item from the free section of Fix the News:
The majority of democracy-eroding presidents and prime ministers step down, mostly because they fail to be reelected or are barred by term limits from running again, says the Journal of Democracy.
Researchers identified 27 instances of democratic erosion in 22 countries since 1999. In 20 instances, leaders left office without completing a transition to authoritarianism. Of these 20, 15 leaders were replaced by leaders who either stopped the backsliding or delivered a clear u-turn toward redemocratization. Only two presidents — in Nicaragua and Venezuela — turned their countries into consolidated authoritarian systems, the Journal of Democracy says.
Among the items behind Fix the News’ paywall:
— Beauty was a curse — at least for the turquoise dwarf gecko of central Tanzania, says Mongabay (check out the photos). Between December 2004 and July 2009, demand for this gecko from collectors in Europe boomed, leading to the capture and export of an estimated 40,000 of these reptiles from Tanzania.
But after it was listed as critically endangered in 2012, the gecko became subject to an international trade ban, and now the gecko’s numbers in Tanzania have returned to pre-trade levels.
— Bacteria in radiation fog — the morning fog that forms as temperature drops overnight — appear to eat the air pollutant formaldehyde, researchers report in the American Society for Microbiology journal mBio.
— Researchers in China have developed a lab-grown human heart organoid that mimics the body’s natural pacemaker, the Chinese Academy of Scientists reports. The study lays a foundation for the exploration of biological pacemakers and other cardiac treatments.
Note to readers
I wish you a happy Fourth, dear readers, and will be back in this space on Thursday, July 9.
Also in the news
New, inexpensive Chinese AI model is catching up with Anthropic, OpenAI on their home turf
Gadi Eisenkot, former Israel military chief of staff and leader of centrist party Yashar, could test Netanyahu’s grip on power
U.S., Iran hold separate meetings with mediators in Qatar, agree to continue discussions
As the Pentagon stays quiet, AP reconstructs U.S. strike that killed more than 100 Iranian children
Michael Waldman of Brennan Center for Justice: Supreme Court term may be remembered as 'power grab in legal garb’
NYTimes: Crypto brought Trump a huge windfall, as many investors lost big
Heather Cox Richardson on Trump’s self-dealing
Robert Reich on what’s worth celebrating on our 250th anniversary: America’s common good
Guardian investigation: National Design Studio, staffed by DOGE veterans, installed visitor-tracking software on federal websites
Judge blocks Virginia from enforcing new law barring ICE officers from wearing masks
D.C. officials say even experienced locals need a plan for this July 4, with increased security, fireworks at 10:30 p.m. or later
WPost: Fireworks on D.C. Mall likely to cause hazardous air pollution, documents show
AP’s longtime Supreme Court reporter Mark Sherman reflects on his front row seat to legal history as he retires
AI firms have hired computer scientists, neuroscientists, philosophers to study whether chatbots have forms of emotion
Researchers discover that the brain can continue performing advanced language tasks even when unconscious under general anesthesia
KFF: New disease threats after Trump administration’s health program cuts
Medicare is now covering some GLP-1 weight loss drugs for $50 a month
WPost on new way to treat sprains: No ice or ibuprofen. Instead, gently exercise affected part.
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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
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