Ukraine Advance, Burning Man, and August's Best Stories

Possible Ukraine Breakthrough

Ukrainian forces appear to have pierced through sections of Russia's frontline defenses in southeastern Ukraine, according to reports. The development could mark a breakthrough in Ukraine's three-month-long counteroffensive and would be the first instance in which its forces have penetrated Russian defensive lines, riddled with minefields, trenches, artillery, and other obstacles. 

Russia has three main defensive lines across southern Ukraine, including what's known as the Surovikin line outside of the village of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, once an agricultural area and home to roughly 1,000 people. The Surovikin line was constructed under the direction of and named after Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin, who went missing after the short-lived Wagner rebellion and was later

removed from his role as head of Russia's air force. 

Ukraine also appeared to break through a defensive line in the village of Novoprokopivka. Verbove and Novoprokopivka are both near the village of Robotyne, which Ukraine reclaimed Tuesday. See updates on the war here.

A Desert Burn

Burning Man 2023 officially started Sunday in the Black Rock Desert—100 miles north of Reno, Nevada—with tens of thousands already in attendance for the nine-day event, despite a small group of environmental activists staging a demonstration on the route to the gate.

The annual event, which blends art, self-expression, and communal living, originated in 1986 with the burning of a wooden effigy on a San Francisco beach, evolving into a temporary desert city centered around art installations, music, workshops, and the symbolic burning of a massive wooden sculpture. The “burners,” who build the approximately 7-square-mile temporary city from scratch each year, bring everything they need to survive in the desert. The event will conclude with the burning of the "man" statue tomorrow, the Temple burn Sunday, and a mass exodus Monday.

This year's theme is “Animalia,” officially described as celebrating the animal world, both real and imagined, and our place in it. See some of the large-scale art here, including a massive wooden box that revealed a steel phoenix when burned, representing war-torn Ukraine.  

Proud Boys Sentencing 

Two former leaders of the Proud Boys group were sentenced to more than a decade in prison yesterday, in two of the longest jail terms handed out related to the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol.  

Prosecutors argued 39-year-old Joseph Biggs, who received a 17-year sentence, used his US military experience to organize and coordinate a group of people to enter the Capitol building. Separately, 37-year-old Zachary Rehl was handed down a 15-year sentence. Among other issues, Rehl was accused of firing pepper spray toward a Capitol officer during the crowd surge. The decision followed a jury conviction of the pair and two others in May. 

Enrique Tarrio—the group's former chief and reported police informant—is due to be sentenced Tuesday. 

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Science & Technology

Business & Markets

Politics & World Affairs

In-Depth

> Winning Back Trust

Tangle | Isaac Saul. Bias is one of the top complaints of news readers about the news they consume. See a breakdown of bias in action and five suggestions to address it. (Read)

> Paragliding Disaster

Real Survival Stories | John Hopkins. (Podcast) The tale of paraglider Ewa Wiśnierska's harrowing excursion through a storm pushing her higher and higher into the atmosphere. (Listen)

> Shopping Cart Theory 

Ringer | Nate Rogers. A profile of YouTuber Sebastian Davis, the so-called "Cart Narc," sparking debates about courtesy as he calls out shoppers who don't return their shopping carts to the corral. (Read)

> Why You Have an Accent in a Foreign Language

Economist | Staff. Differences in syllable stress, pronunciation, and rhythm make even fluent foreign language speakers talk with an accent. (Watch)

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Editor's note: More than 9 million monthly clicks can't be wrong. Here are the most popular stories we ran in August. Enjoy!

(8/8/23) Thirty-six hidden messages in popular company logos.

(8/17/23) The biggest media hoaxes in US history. 

(8/16/23) What is the best position to sleep in? 

(8/22/23) Zoo welcomes rare spotless giraffe. 

(8/15/23) The 20 best small US towns for retirement.

(8/31/23) The foods Americans dislike most.

(8/21/23) Ranking the 50 worst decisions in TV history. 

(8/5/23) Farmer surprises wife with 80 acres of sunflowers.

(8/28/23) Images from an annual gathering of redheads.

(8/24/23) NFL quarterback scores mayonnaise deal. 

8/26/23) Slang terms from the 1930s.

(8/18/23) The horrifying world of Thailand's railway safety posters.

Clickbait: Tennis match interrupted by "Cotton Eye Joe."

Historybook: Lewis and Clark explorer William Clark dies (1838); Singer Gloria Estefan born (1957); Bobby Fischer wins “Match of the Century” and becomes first American-born world chess champion (1972); Wreckage of the Titanic found at the bottom of North Atlantic (1985); Actress and singer Zendaya born (1996).