1. A Morning Encounter at Mandrem Beach The sun had barely begun its climb over the Goan coast on Sunday morning when the rhythm of Mandrem Beach was broken by an unusual and unsettling sight. What had started as a typical day for early risers, fishermen, and tourists strolling along the shore quickly turned into something extraordinary. A sub-adult false killer whale—a large, deep-water species of oceanic dolphin, despite its misleading name—had been carried in by the tide and was now stranded on the sand, lying on its side and helpless against the push of the waves. The animal was…

The Fall of Joe Lombardo: A Political Postmortem Joe Lombardo cuts an impressive figure. With that disarming smile, a distinguished career in law enforcement behind him, and a campaign war chest overflowing with millions from wealthy supporters, he seemed destined for a second term as Nevada’s governor. But when the ballots were counted, Lombardo found himself on the losing end of a decisive defeat at the hands of Democrat Aaron Ford, the state’s attorney general. The margin wasn’t close, and the disappointment among Lombardo’s backers was palpable. They whispered about being caught in a political tsunami, as if some unavoidable…