Love summer but hate summer bills? ME TOO.

Summer is almost done, but most of us are still waiting for our summer electricity bills. In the last few years, my electricity bill has gotten more expensive, even though I’ve taken steps to reduce my energy consumption. I upgraded my janky AC to an energy efficient one that I can program, unplugged appliances I wasn’t using, and begrudgingly decided to close the window blinds. 

I love summer as much as the next person (except for my boss, who insists that the summer industrial complex is going to smite us all). But the spike in electricity in the warmer months is one that I actively dread because it feels like a battle no one can win. For a while, I was convinced I was losing it. Was I the problem?

Turns out, kind of, but not really. Senior technology correspondent Adam Clark Estes explains the surprising reason behind our pricier utility bills. And no, it’s not the transition to clean energy. 

Anyway, while I shake my fist at the sky, please enjoy these other Vox articles, videos, and podcasts that I couldn’t stop thinking about.

—Izzie Ramirez, Deputy Editor, Future Perfect

The fight over Jordan Chiles’s bronze medal is barely about gymnastics

Every new development around gymnast Jordan Chiles being stripped of her medal because of bureaucratic nonsense boils my blood. Senior correspondent Alex Abad-Santos breaks down all the ways the sport failed Chiles. I’m praying for her to get her medal back expeditiously. 

The case for pole dancing in the Olympics

If it wasn’t obvious, I love (and love to hate) the Olympics. (I think the last time I wrote this newsletter, I had some Olympics-related recs?). Non-sequitur aside, I do think it’s wild that some sports get to be included — breaking, I’m looking at you — when pole dancing is literally right there. Future Perfect fellow Celia Ford, who also moonlights as a pole instructor, explains how the sportification of pole is an uphill battle.

Why does it feel like everyone is getting Covid?

’Cause everyone IS. But seriously, this spike is no joke. And it’s incredibly disappointing that much of the US has defunded public programs that made testing and treating Covid easier. It shouldn’t be up to individuals, but if you can, wear a mask and get tested regularly! 

Mpox never stopped spreading in Africa. Now it’s an international public health emergency. Again.

Speaking of which, time is a circle. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is back with a vengeance. But that’s because of a lack of resources in the places most affected by the spread, reports Future Perfect fellow Jess Craig. Risk to those in the US remains low, but viruses don’t care about borders. Just ask the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its bordering countries. 

MDMA therapy didn’t get FDA approval. Now what?

MDMA, the notorious club drug also known as ecstasy or molly, was promised to be a helpful, effective treatment alongside therapy for those suffering from PTSD. And for a while, it seemed like the FDA was going to approve its use. Staff writer Oshan Jarow explains what’s next for the fight against psychedelic prohibition. If audio is more your speed, check out Haleema Shah’s three-episode series explaining the road here.

📹 How pit bulls got a bad reputation

I love dogs, so this Vox video about how the sweet pit bull was transformed into a fearsome foe was really illuminating for me. I maintain that all dogs are good dogs! 

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