may be the poster animal for invasive species. Native to South America, it has been introduced to many other ecosystems in the hope it would chow down on agricultural pests. Instead, the toad has become a pest itself, most notably in Australia. Free from the predators and parasites in its native range, the toad's poison glands have turned out to be a hazard for most species that try to eat it where it has been introduced.Ars TechnicaThis story originally appeared on , a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, reviews, and more. Ars is owned by WIRED's parent company, Condé...…may be the poster animal for invasive species. Native to South America, it has been introduced to many other ecosystems in the hope it would chow down on agricultural pests. Instead, the toad has become a pest itself, most notably in Australia. Free from the predators and parasites in its native range, the toad's poison glands have turned out to be a hazard for most species that try to eat it where it has been introduced.Ars TechnicaThis story originally appeared on , a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, reviews, and more. Ars is owned by WIRED's parent company, Condé...WW…

The diamond-shaped signs are hallmarks of the South Dakota highway, doubling as memorials and warnings. For more than 40 years, the state has placed them at the sites of motorized fatalities, making them disquieting roadside counterparts to the billboards summoning travelers to Wall Drug and other tourist enclaves. There is a bright red X near the uppermost tip and a pair of all-caps messages that force drivers to reckon with their own mortality: “THINK!” commands one side of the sign; “WHY DIE?” asks the other.The “THINK signs,” as they are known locally, are installed by county highway...…The diamond-shaped signs are hallmarks of the South Dakota highway, doubling as memorials and warnings. For more than 40 years, the state has placed them at the sites of motorized fatalities, making them disquieting roadside counterparts to the billboards summoning travelers to Wall Drug and other tourist enclaves. There is a bright red X near the uppermost tip and a pair of all-caps messages that force drivers to reckon with their own mortality: “THINK!” commands one side of the sign; “WHY DIE?” asks the other.The “THINK signs,” as they are known locally, are installed by county highway...WW…

Some thought the Covid-19 pandemic would be the final nail in the coffin for the men's suit.And then a weird thing happened. Led by a new generation of designers and makers who are tinkering with the traditional formulas to invent (or revive) strange and exciting ways of dressing up, tailoring started coming back stronger than ever.The barometric designer Virgil Abloh was likely sensing this shift when he donned an epic suit—a belted blazer over voluminous trousers—in Paris on the day of his Louis Vuitton show earlier this summer. All around, stylish 20-something Parisians increasingly...…Some thought the Covid-19 pandemic would be the final nail in the coffin for the men's suit.And then a weird thing happened. Led by a new generation of designers and makers who are tinkering with the traditional formulas to invent (or revive) strange and exciting ways of dressing up, tailoring started coming back stronger than ever.The barometric designer Virgil Abloh was likely sensing this shift when he donned an epic suit—a belted blazer over voluminous trousers—in Paris on the day of his Louis Vuitton show earlier this summer. All around, stylish 20-something Parisians increasingly...WW…

On a recent Thursday afternoon, Marisela and Ely Ortiz, a middle-aged couple, went to a Costco in Temecula, California, to buy crates of bread and bottled water, a weekend’s worth of nourishment for twenty-five volunteers who would spend two days walking in extreme heat. They tucked the provisions amid camping equipment in their car and set off at dusk the following day for a six-hour drive into the Sonoran Desert, a trek they’ve made once a month for the past nine years. The couple and almost all of their volunteers emigrated to the United States from Latin America, and their group, known...…On a recent Thursday afternoon, Marisela and Ely Ortiz, a middle-aged couple, went to a Costco in Temecula, California, to buy crates of bread and bottled water, a weekend’s worth of nourishment for twenty-five volunteers who would spend two days walking in extreme heat. They tucked the provisions amid camping equipment in their car and set off at dusk the following day for a six-hour drive into the Sonoran Desert, a trek they’ve made once a month for the past nine years. The couple and almost all of their volunteers emigrated to the United States from Latin America, and their group, known...WW…

The investigative reporter  recently received a recording of a meeting attended by conservative power brokers, including Grover Norquist, representatives of PACs funded by Charles Koch, and an aide to Senator Mitch McConnell. The subject was the voting-rights bill H.R. 1, and the mood was anxious. The bill ( in last week’s episode) would broadly make voting more accessible—which tends to benefit Democratic candidates—and would raise the curtain on “dark money” in elections through stringent disclosure requirements. The problem for these conservatives, a political strategist says, is that...…The investigative reporter  recently received a recording of a meeting attended by conservative power brokers, including Grover Norquist, representatives of PACs funded by Charles Koch, and an aide to Senator Mitch McConnell. The subject was the voting-rights bill H.R. 1, and the mood was anxious. The bill ( in last week’s episode) would broadly make voting more accessible—which tends to benefit Democratic candidates—and would raise the curtain on “dark money” in elections through stringent disclosure requirements. The problem for these conservatives, a political strategist says, is that...WW…

Jane Mayer recently of a meeting in which conservative power brokers plot how to defeat the voting-rights bill H.R. 1, which would curtail the flow of dark money into elections. The bill is popular with voters on the left and the right, they acknowledge, and, for that reason, they must kill it by any means necessary. Dorothy Brown, the author of “,” explains how the seemingly race-neutral tax code compounds many inequalities in American life, and prevents Black people from building wealth. And the director David Fincher talks about his film “Mank”—written by his late father—and the eternal...…Jane Mayer recently of a meeting in which conservative power brokers plot how to defeat the voting-rights bill H.R. 1, which would curtail the flow of dark money into elections. The bill is popular with voters on the left and the right, they acknowledge, and, for that reason, they must kill it by any means necessary. Dorothy Brown, the author of “,” explains how the seemingly race-neutral tax code compounds many inequalities in American life, and prevents Black people from building wealth. And the director David Fincher talks about his film “Mank”—written by his late father—and the eternal...WW…

Earlier this week, Donald Trump, who is very busy and important, took some time out of his schedule to . Responding to the news that Swedish activist Greta Thunberg had been named Time magazine’s person of the year, the president, like the bridge troll he is, took to Twitter and ranted: “So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!”While the notion of Trump going after someone on Twitter is nothing new—in the past he has slandered everyone from NFL players to the cast of to Bette Midler to Saturday...…Earlier this week, Donald Trump, who is very busy and important, took some time out of his schedule to . Responding to the news that Swedish activist Greta Thunberg had been named Time magazine’s person of the year, the president, like the bridge troll he is, took to Twitter and ranted: “So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!”While the notion of Trump going after someone on Twitter is nothing new—in the past he has slandered everyone from NFL players to the cast of to Bette Midler to Saturday...WW…

was first elected to the Senate in 1984, but he didn’t come to national prominence until the Obama Presidency, when, as the Senate Majority Leader, he emerged as one of the Administration’s most unyielding and effective legislative opponents. In the past three years, McConnell has put his political skills to work in support of ’s agenda, despite the lasting damage that his maneuvering is doing to the Senate and to American democracy.  joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss how and why McConnell, who faces reëlection this year, became one of Trump’s staunchest allies.Never miss a podcast episode...…was first elected to the Senate in 1984, but he didn’t come to national prominence until the Obama Presidency, when, as the Senate Majority Leader, he emerged as one of the Administration’s most unyielding and effective legislative opponents. In the past three years, McConnell has put his political skills to work in support of ’s agenda, despite the lasting damage that his maneuvering is doing to the Senate and to American democracy.  joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss how and why McConnell, who faces reëlection this year, became one of Trump’s staunchest allies.Never miss a podcast episode...WW…