Independent News Drop

KELI From Inkwell, this is the Independent News Drop. It's Thursday, May seventh. The time is seven a.m. Central. I'm Keli, joined by Hast.

HAST Good morning. We're tracking an update on congressional age limits, new developments in Texas energy infrastructure, and a case raising questions about immigration enforcement. Let's start with that poll.

KELI Eight in ten Americans say they want age caps for members of Congress, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist survey. That's a continued read on something we've covered before—the bipartisan appetite for structural limits on who can serve. The polling holds steady. We're talking about majorities across party lines who want a mechanism in place to set upper age limits, similar to the constitutional age floor that's existed since the founding.

HAST Moving to energy. Texas is seeing a shift in what's lining up to connect to the state's power grid. For the first time in a decade, natural gas projects outnumber wind projects in the queue. The reason: data centers. They're consuming enormous amounts of electricity and developers are planning natural gas plants to meet that load. Wind remains a major player in the mix, but gas is now the lead category among new connections.

KELI One more on this. Hast, the temptation here is to read this story a certain way. What should listeners watch for?

HAST Right. The simple read is going to be that AI and data centers are killing the green energy transition in Texas. The structural reality is simpler: data centers need reliable baseload power around the clock, and natural gas plants can provide that flexibility in a way wind cannot. The existing grid and its rules incentivize that choice. Watch for whether natural gas plants actually get built faster than the wind projects already in the queue, or whether the wait times for both stretch out equally. If data centers start signing long-term wind contracts with battery storage attached, or if grid operators change interconnection rules to favor renewables, the simple read falls apart.

KELI So it's about incentives, not ideology.

HAST Exactly. A Rembrandt painting held in private hands for over sixty years has been authenticated by Dutch researchers using technology to scan and analyze brushwork and composition. The painting was previously unknown to the art historical record. The identification happened through a combination of imaging and archival work—a case of technical capability letting researchers recover something lost to public view.

KELI A student facing deportation is challenging the legality of reinstatement of his case. Mohsen Mahdawi says the immigration system is being weaponized against him for his advocacy on Palestinian rights. The government has resumed proceedings. The case sits at an intersection of immigration enforcement, free speech concerns, and questions about selective application of law. We'll continue to track the legal arguments.

HAST China's government announced suspended death sentences for two former defense ministers. The move follows the recent ouster of several high-ranking military officials. The suspended sentences mean the death penalty is technically in place but not carried out—a signal of political consequence within China's defense establishment without final execution. The exact charges and context remain limited in available reporting.

KELI And finally, a next-generation Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug from Entrada Therapeutics didn't hit its targets in early testing. Multiple companies are racing to develop improved treatments for the genetic disorder. This disappointment narrows the field of candidates. The broader effort continues, but this particular approach fell short.

KELI One more thing. Hast, you know what day it is historically.

HAST In nineteen forty-two, during the Battle of the Coral Sea in World War Two, United States Navy aircraft carrier planes sank the Japanese light carrier Shōhō—the first naval battle in history where opposing fleets never made visual contact.

KELI That's the Independent News Drop. We'll be back next hour. From Inkwell.