🇿🇦 What's Going On in South Africa?

Image: BBC

The death toll from rioting in South Africa climbed to 72 yesterday. Police and military are still attempting to halt public unrest set off by last week's imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma.

• More than 1,200 people have been arrested in the country's two most populous provinces (Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal).
• Police described chaotic stampedes as thousands of people stole food, electrical appliances, liquor, and clothing from stores.

📜 Background: Zuma was president of South Africa from 2009 until 2018 – a time when alleged government corruption soared, per the NYT ($).

• After Zuma resigned, a government-mandated commission began investigating some of the corruption allegations.
• The former president repeatedly refused to testify, despite an order to do so from South Africa's Constitutional Court, leading the court to sentence him to 15 months in prison.

Violence across the two provinces started after Zuma began serving his prison term last Thursday. It has not spread to any of South Africa's other seven provinces.

✋ Yes, but... Many of the looters say they're stealing to help provide for their families amidst poor economic conditions, highlighted by 33% unemployment.

📅 Looking ahead... South Africa plans to deploy up to 25k soldiers in the two provinces, according to local news channel eNCA.

🎁 DONUT Headline: The EU and China are taking steps towards their separate goals of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and 2060, respectively.

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Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee announced a top-line budget number late Tuesday for a future bill expected to address education, climate change, child care, and a host of other issues.

• 📝 Important to Note: This budget resolution is separate from an eight-year, $1.2T bipartisan infrastructure deal lawmakers are currently working on, which would feature ~$600B in new spending.

Democratic lawmakers are moving forward with a process called budget reconciliation. This would allow the bill to pass without any Republican support in the 50-50 Senate, side-stepping the typical 60-vote threshold.

🤿 A deeper dive... With the top line figure now set, Democrats still need to craft the details of the policy provisions in the $3.5T package.

• From the WSJ: "The legislation Democrats are preparing is expected to mirror elements of Mr. Biden’s proposals, which called for an extension of an expanded child tax credit, universal prekindergarten and tax incentives for clean-energy investments.
• [Senate Majority Leader] Schumer said the Democratic bill would also expand Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing care, a provision championed by [Sen. Bernie] Sanders and other progressives."

The legislation is also expected to include a series of tax hikes on wealthy corporations and individuals.

• A Democratic aide told the AP it would prohibit tax increases on small businesses and individuals making less than $400K.

📅 On the horizon... Senate Majority Leader Schumer pledged to hold two votes - one on the $3.5T budget resolution & one on the bipartisan $1.2T infrastructure package - before the chamber's annual August recess.

• If the votes are there, this does not mean the bill has passed – the $3.5T proposal can be considered a blueprint needing approval from both congressional chambers before the relevant committees begin writing specific legislation (that needs to comply with Senate rules regarding budget reconciliation).
• Senate Democrats would pass the bill for real when they return in the fall, as long there's total unity from all 50 members; the bill appears highly unlikely to garner any GOP support.

⚡ Fingers Crossed…

Image: YouTube

While self-powered wearable systems typically require significant inputs of energy, such as physical movement from the wearer, the new device can work without the user lifting a finger.

• The new device is built to be highly absorbent, using electrodes to soak up sweat from a user’s finger and trigger a chemical reaction between the liquid's lactate and oxygen molecules – thus, generating electricity.

Packed with more than a thousand sweat glands, fingertips are constantly emitting sweat, allowing the device to function even when a wearer is sleeping.

• Currently, the electricity-generating bandage can create enough energy to power an electric wristwatch for 24 hours, but its inventors are working to increase its capacity to power higher-performance electronics.

Keep reading.

Image: Ashley Hall / SWNS

An act of kindness a day keeps the bad vibes away, right?

Sebbie Hall is an 18-year-old from Lichfield, UK, who - like many others - took time during quarantine to develop a new hobby.

• When Sebbie wanted to buy one of his friends an iPad so they could FaceTime while in lockdown, his mom asked him to think of some ways he could make the money to buy one.
• The young Brit has a learning disability due to a chromosome anomaly, and wasn’t working a typical “job” at the time.

Sebbie’s response to his mom’s question? Put simply, “I can be kind.”

• 1,600 good deeds and $39,000 later, being kind seems to have paid off.

Keep reading.

What is the deadliest animal in America?

A) Bears
B) Mountain lions
C) Mosquitos
D) Deer

(keep scrolling for the answer)

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D) Deer

Deer are the deadliest animal in America, causing about 200 human deaths and 30k injuries each year when they collide with cars.