Jakarta is sinking and its potential solution will too, Russia is gearing up for 2020, and we outline the best gear that came out in July. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less.


Today's Headlines

Jakarta's giant sea wall is useless if the city keeps sinking

Models currently predict that one-third of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta will be underwater as soon as 2050. The president of Indonesia told the AP that he's fast-tracking a plan to build a sea wall around the city. The problem: The people of Jakarta are pumping too much groundwater, sinking some parts of the city by up to 8 inches per year. A seawall would be expensive, time-consuming, and will come right down with the rest of the city.

Russia is upping its interference game for the 2020 elections

The same week that "Moscow Mitch" started trending on Twitter, Senator Mark Warner, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, is sounding the alarm about the 2020 election. “You don't need to change votes to cause chaos,” Warner tells WIRED, warning of Russia expanding on its social media manipulation of 2016, and other adversarial nations following suit. Another thing to watch out for: deepfakes, altered video or audio that convincingly mimics its target.

Fast Fact: US student debt hits $1.6 trillion

Student loans comprise the second-highest consumer debt category in the US, behind only mortgages. Everyone from students and parents to presidential candidates have an idea of how to solve the crisis, but our writer wonders: What if we tied tuition to post graduation salaries?

WIRED Recommends: Our Favorite July Gear

From headphones and cameras to air-conditioners and coffee-makers, our gear team put together a list of our favorite deals and gadgets from the month of July.

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