‘Pitchfork Populism’ Over Data Centers Rattles Ohio’s U.S. Senate Race - Inside Climate News

The Nov. 3 election will say much about rural Minnesotans’ tolerance for deteriorating economic conditions ― and who they hold responsible.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military said its soldiers shot and killed two men who had launched an attack near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday morning. At least five people were injured, including some critically. The military set up roadblocks and closures in Palestinian towns in the area. Emergency responders said five people were injured, some critically and were being evacuated to hospitals in Israel. A statement from the responders said gunfire was ongoing as they arrived at the scene of the attack near the Yehuda Junction. Two men in their 20s had gunshot wounds to their lower limbs, one was unconscious and seriously injured, the responders said. The deadly shooting comes as Israeli voters will decide next Tuesday whether to grant Benjamin Netanyahu yet another term as prime minister — or usher in a new era of Israeli politics. The election comes three years after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza,

I enjoyed Kymberlee O’Brien’s explanation (“There’s a scientific reason leaf peeping feels so good,” Opinion, Oct. 20) of why looking at fall foliage can feel restorative. I would add that autumn engages more than just our eyes. As I walked thought Mt. Auburn Cemetery last weekend, leaves were crunching underfoot. I could smell their earthy, damp scent as fungi decomposed them. Along with the vivid colors, these sounds, textures, and smells are autumn in New England. A 2024 Science Advances article identified smell as an important, yet understudied way we experience nature. As O’Brien rightly notes, researchers have not tested every link between nature and well-being. There is also something about autumn’s brisk temperatures and falling leaves that evokes a sense of renewal, as though the changing season offers an opportunity for fresh beginnings. Still, her article reminds us to appreciate not just the colors, but the sounds, textures, and smells of the season. Get College TownA weekly newsletter packed with insights about higher ed from Globe journalist Hilary Burns.

Renée Graham’s column (“Musicians shouldn’t be expected to just shut up and sing,” Page K7, Oct. 18) quotes Nina Simone on the artist’s “duty” to “reflect the times,” as though the stage were a witness stand rather than a temporary republic of sound. However, James Hetfield’s insistence on “love, energy, and heavy music” is itself a stance — one that prefers connection to creed and offers a couple of hours outside the febrile news cycle. Many listeners arrive precisely to suspend the outside world they already inhabit. To insist that every set become a seminar risks converting the peculiar liberty of performance into just another contested bulletin board, a deadcatting of art by language. Sometimes the most radical thing an artist can do is refuse to speak, and simply play loud enough that, for the moment, time itself falls quiet. David WoodardTampere, Finland

I was in middle school in Western New York during the Three Mile Island accident — the most serious nuclear accident in American history. Even from 200 miles away, my parents were glued to the news, and at our Catholic School we prayed for the safety of our Pennsylvania neighbors. After Three Mile Island there were months of congressional hearings on nuclear safety. Where is the congressional oversight now (“US is reviving shuttered nuclear plants to meet growing electricity demand and to power data centers,” Online, Oct. 16)? Why are we starting to slip down the nuclear path again, solely to benefit data center tycoons? The least we can do is ask our members of Congress to put in some basic regulations on data centers and energy. There are several bills in Congress now that would help — H. R. 6983 would require large data centers to generate their own electricity and transition to 100% clean energy; and H. R. 6984 and S. 5640 would require reporting on data centers’ air, water, and energy use. Our Massachusetts delegation, especially Representative Katherine Clark, Democratic minority whip, and Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren should be working for us to support these bills

LETTERSErick Michael fed the pigeons on Boston Common. Stan Grossfeld/Globe StaffI live near the Tufts Medical MBTA station that is under attack by pigeons (“MBTA looks to bring in hawks,” Metro, Oct. 8), but the the source of the problem is that someone is feeding them on an industrial scale. Several times a day someone empties a bag of rice on the plaza. I like the idea of the falcons, but I fear that their endless supply of food may offset the predation. As Pogo Possum said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”Richard KileyBoston