“Though he had been, by his own description, ‘shy and retiring’ as a young man, Kameny was ‘radicalized’ by the way his government had treated him. How could his homosexual orientation possibly affect his work as an astronomer or, as he one day hoped to be, an astronaut floating hundreds of miles away from Earth’s surface? On the contrary, it was the government that had wronged him. ‘I simply felt something had to be done,’ he recalled. And so, Kameny did what no gay man or woman in his position had yet done: He fought back.” (06/03/26)
“Amazon has overtaken Walmart to claim the No. 1 spot on the Fortune 500, ending the retailer’s 13-year run at the top of the annual ranking of America’s biggest companies by revenue. The latest list, based on fiscal 2025 revenue, puts Amazon in the top spot, followed by Walmart and UnitedHealth Group. The shakeup marks the first time since 2013 that Walmart has not held the No. 1 position on the Fortune 500. Amazon generated roughly $717 billion in revenue during the most recent reporting period, narrowly surpassing Walmart’s $713 billion. UnitedHealth Group rounded out the top three with $447.6 billion in revenue.” (06/03/26)
Source: The Atlantic
by Vivian Salama, Jonathan Lemire, & Nancy A Youssef
“[Trump]wanted the conflict over. But he had become irritated by comparisons between the emerging framework and the Obama-era agreement, which set restrictions and time limits on Iran’s nuclear-development program. Administration officials said Trump repeatedly complained that critics were calling his team’s draft agreement a weaker version of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which he had spent years attacking and tore up in his first term. Trump wanted a way to argue that Iran had accepted terms from him that Obama never managed to extract, aides told us. … He may be content to simply wait rather than do a deal that invites unflattering comparisons to one that already existed — and which didn’t come at the cost of 13 U.S. service members and at least 1,700 Iranian civilians, tens of billions of dollars, the depletion of U.S. munitions stockpiles, and a global energy crisis.” (06/03/26)
“A fire swept through a building in a New Delhi neighborhood Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring several others, police said. The building in the Malviya Nagar neighborhood in the southern part of the city had a restaurant on the ground floor and a hotel above. The predominantly residential area is densely populated and is popular with students and young professionals. … Some of the victims were foreign nationals who had traveled to India for medical treatment, local media reported.” (06/03/26)
“The average American household is now worth more than $1 million. Yet Gen Z is increasingly pessimistic about its economic future. Why does it feel like so many people are falling behind? Is homeownership out of reach? And how can young people build wealth in an economy that seems both richer and more uncertain than ever? Megan McArdle talks with Ed Elson, co-host of Prof G Markets, about wealth inequality, housing affordability, social media and the frustrations shaping younger generations’ outlook.” (06/03/26)
“Much like House maps, districts in parliamentary systems are vulnerable to gerrymandering. In countries that use such systems, control of the government is determined by winning seats in parliament: The party or coalition that holds the majority of seats holds the levers of power. Given the large number of countries using a parliamentary system, one would expect widespread rampant gerrymandering. Yet many have installed checks and balances to prevent such egregious partisan actions. The nation’s northern neighbor sets an example that is worth emulating. Canada uses a parliamentary system for its government. To prevent gerrymandering that gives one party advantages on Election Day, Canada uses small independent commissions that work to keep the influence of elections in the hands of the voters, not the politicians.” (06/03/26)
“South Korean voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots for the ruling Democratic Party in nationwide local elections Wednesday, exit polls said, in a show of support for President Lee Jae Myung one year into his term. Lee’s Democratic Party was projected to win 11 of the 16 key races in Wednesday’s elections, according to a joint poll conducted by broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS. The opposition People Power Party was projected to take only one seat, while four races were too close to call. A separate poll by broadcaster JTBC found the Democratic Party projected to win 10 of the key races. The vote was the first nationwide test since Lee took office last June, when he won the presidency in a snap election after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his botched martial law attempt.” (06/03/26)
“Azerbaijan’s energy-dependent economy and California’s costly climate mandates reveal a common lesson: environmental policy works when it is local, adaptable, and intellectually humble.” (06/03/26)
“A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field in Devon, killing three navy staff. … Devon and Cornwall Police said earlier that emergency services were at the scene of the incident at Sourton Down, near Okehampton. The Navy added on Wednesday morning that the crash happened just before 4am. … The scene of the crash is close to Okehampton battle camp, a military facility on the edge of Dartmoor which has been used for training Merlin helicopter crews from the Commando Helicopter Force.” (06/03/26)
