Today’s Big Story

Is Decaf Safe?

Health advocacy groups are petitioning the FDA to ban a chemical commonly used in the process

It’s a tough choice. Some people try to cut back on their caffeine intake, only to find out that decaf coffee might be hazardous to their health. Some health experts are concerned that the process required to remove caffeine from the brew could be increasing people’s risk of cancer. That certainly sounds worse than jitters and a racing heart.

The process in question uses a controversial chemical called methylene chloride, which is a known carcinogen, as outlined by OSHA. The Food and Drug Administration regulates methylene chloride when it is used to decaffeinate coffee. Exposure to residues of it must not exceed 10 parts per million. Depsite advocacy groups pushing to have the chemical banned, government experts claim that the amount of the solvent used in the process is negligible and carries no serious risk to a person's health.

According to Food & Wine, methylene chloride is used in various industrial processes, in many different industries including paint stripping, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and metal cleaning and degreasing. And it just happens to be the most common way of removing caffeine from coffee beans before roasting. Known as the European Method of Decaffeination or the Indirect-Solvent Process, it involves boiling coffee beans and then soaking the softened beans in chemicals such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate (also used in nail polish remover). These compounds bind to the caffeine from the beans, extract it, and then the beans are rinsed to remove chemical residue, dried and roasted. Yum!

The concern comes with just how much chemical residue is left on the beans and ultimately dripped into your brew. “It should be concerning to everyone that pregnant women and those with health issues looking to cut back on caffeine are unknowingly sipping trace amounts of methylene chloride in their decaf coffee,” says Jaclyn Bowen, the executive director of the Clean Label Project, which signed onto the recent FDA petition.

There’s also a chemical-free way to decaffeinate the beans, which many third-wave roasters and such artisanal coffee shops as Alfred and Peet's have now adopted. The method is known as the Swiss Water Process, which removes caffeine by gently soaking green beans in a water solution for about eight hours. The solution absorbs caffeine from the beans, and is then repeatedly carbon filtered until 99% of the caffeine is removed.

‘Extreme Turbulence’ Rattles Flight

At least one dead and 30 injured after turbulence batters flight from London to Singapore

It’s any nervous flyer’s worst nightmare. A sudden shaking, seemingly out of nowhere. But this was no ordinary bout of turbulence: A 73-year-old man from Britain died and dozens of people were injured after the plane encountered “extreme turbulence” several hours into a flight from London to Singapore, officials said on Tuesday.

Tracking data captured by FlightRadar24 and analyzed by the Associated Press show the flight cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet. At one point, the Boeing 777-300ER suddenly and sharply descended to 31,000 feet over about three minutes. Singapore Airlines confirmed that the flight was then diverted and landed in Bangkok. The company said in a later statement that 30 people required hospital treatment. Other passengers with more minor injuries were treated at the airport.

Photos of the plane show just how violent the shaking was, with debris strewn about the cabin and overhead compartments dented and cracked from people slamming into them. Deaths caused by turbulence are rare. The last time a passenger on a commercial flight operated by an American airline died from a turbulence-related injury was in 1997, when the passenger wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and flew up from her seat, striking her head on the luggage bin.

Billion Dollar Disasters

The rise in destructive storms shows how unprepared the U.S. is to withstand climate-driven catastrophe

It will cost Houston billions of dollars to recover from deadly storms that whipped hurricane-force winds through downtown buildings last week, experts estimate. And that’s on top of the seven billion-dollar disasters that had already happened in 2024. And it’s only May. In addition to terrible storms, warm temperatures have already made this year the fifth-warmest in the country’s 130-year climate history.

Decades ago, hurricanes, floods and winter storms more frequently landed on an annual National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration list of billion-dollar weather disasters. But now, thunderstorms—some of them spawning tornadoes—are driving a surge in weather-related property damage and insurance payouts, reports the Washingon Post. That’s in part because the ingredients needed to produce intense, damaging storms (energy, instability and moisture in the atmosphere) are becoming more abundant as the planet warms, meteorologists say. Especially as emissions of greenhouse gases trap heat around the planet like a blanket.

Climate change is a key factor. Scientific American reports that heavier rainfall contributed to more flooding disasters in the U.S. in the 2010s than in the previous three decades combined. But human decisions such as where and how to build also play an important role. Hurricanes, which are among the costliest disasters on a per-event basis, hit in coastal areas where the U.S. has seen a surge in population—and a corresponding increase in new buildings and other infrastructure. Many parts of the country lack robust building codes, an oversight that can lead to very preventable damage and loss of life.

The Kids Are Into Cassettes (Again)

The latest retro music trend is? Old school tapes.

Will mix tapes come back as actual tapes? While vinyl controlled the largest share of the physical music market last year, cassette tapes are apparently surging in popularity. The medium saw an increase in sales from 2015 to 2023 of more than 400%, reports CBS News.

Just like with records, it’s not older nostalgic consumers longing to go back, it’s young people looking for something physical in their increasingly cold, digital existence. Gen Z listeners are behind the boom in sales. According to Bloomberg, artists like Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Kendrick Lamar are all now releasing new music on cassette tapes for superfans who want a physical memento.

And with cassettes on the comeback trail, there are now a number of new portable players coming onto the market to play them. CNET reports that FiiO—best known for its headphones and digital audio players—recently made a leap to the dark side with its first portable cassette player, the CP13. Yet FiiO isn’t alone. Late last year, We Are Rewind released its own version of the Walkman, which even boasts Bluetooth support.

Score a Deal on G-Star RAW

Get 25% off sitewide during the holiday weekend

Known for edgy denim and sleek leather pieces with a streetwear edge, G-Star RAW also has plenty of lightweight summer-ready pieces. And now through Tuesday, you can get anything from the brand for 25% off during their Memorial Day sale. It's rare for the label to offer a sitewide discount, so take advantage. Our team is already checking out some washed white denim along with vintage-inspired fatigue pants and some cool shorts.

Rest. Don’t give up.