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World’s Oldest Climate Fund Targets Wildlife Bonds for Every Country in Africa (Maria)

The author writes, “The world’s oldest multilateral climate fund, the Global Environment Facility, is planning a new wave of wildlife conservation bonds in a bid to help African countries save endangered species and ecosystems. Wildlife bonds, which provide low-cost funding in return for cutting poaching or other measures, were pioneered in 2022 with a World Bank-backed rhino bond. … Fred Boltz, head of programming at GEF, which is linked to the World Bank, told Reuters it aims to do one for all 54 African countries. He said the move would require an investment of $150 million from GEF, which would be leveraged 10 times to provide a total of $1.5 billion for conservation efforts.”

The Supreme Court Says Laws Aren’t Real (Dana)

From The New Republic: “To cover the Supreme Court these days is to catalogue its lawlessness. The conservative justices’ latest decision in McMahon v. New York allows the president to effectively demolish the Department of Education — a Cabinet-level department that was created by Congress, given duties and responsibilities by Congress, and funded by Congress to carry them out.”

ICC Judges Reject Israel’s Request To Withdraw Netanyahu Arrest Warrant (Sean)

From Middle East Eye, “Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday rejected Israel’s request to withdraw arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Israel made the request while the ICC reviews its challenge over the court’s jurisdiction to weigh in on its war on Gaza. … The judges also rejected an Israeli request to suspend the court’s broader investigation into alleged crimes in the occupied Palestinian Territories.”

MAGA Is Right About Jeffrey Epstein (Bethany)

The author writes, “It’s rare that I agree with the MAGA conspiracy theory loonies, but, in the case of the Epstein files, they deserve an answer about why the full folder has not been released. I have never fully believed that Epstein committed suicide and my skepticism grows the more the mysteries accumulate. Flashback to 2010. During my time as editor of The Daily Beast — thanks to the pioneer reporting of Conchita Sarnoff — we were the first news outlet to break the story of the 2008 sweetheart deal Epstein made with a U.S. Attorney in Florida. Multiple charges of child sexual trafficking were reduced to only state charges and he served only 13 months in a work-release program that allowed him to spend as much as 12 hours a day outside jail.”

‘The River House Broke. We Rushed in the River.’ (Laura)

From Texas Monthly: “Rosemary, the four-year-old, woke up first. She told my brother-in-law, Lance, that there was something on the roof. Seven of us were at my family’s river house on the Guadalupe, between Ingram and Hunt, for the Fourth. Our little stretch of river is wide, green, cool, deep, and slow. It is some of the best swimming anywhere and one of the most beautiful spots in Texas, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve spent many peaceful afternoons there, floating and staring up at the cypress trees that tower over the water. The house, a one-story cabin on stilts about fifty yards from the river up our steeply sloped yard, was built right after the 1987 flood that devastated this region, killing ten teenagers. Concrete pillars put our family’s place a few feet above what officials consider a one-hundred-year floodplain. More than once I’d tried to imagine the waters rising that high, but it seemed impossible.” 

Zohran Mamdani’s Last Name Reflects Centuries of Intercontinental Trade, Migration and Cultural Exchange (Gerry)

From The Conversation: “When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, political observers noted his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his very surname: Mamdani. He takes the name from his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a prominent academic who was raised in Uganda and whose work focuses on postcolonial Uganda. I studied the history of the Khoja community for my doctoral work and have helped develop Khoja studies as an academic discipline. The Mamdani surname tells a story of migration, resilience, and community-building that spans centuries and continents.”

What Happens When Bees Can’t Buzz Right? Nature Starts Falling Apart (Mili)

The author writes, “Ongoing research into the effect of environmental change on the buzzing of bees reveals that high temperatures and exposure to heavy metals reduces the frequency (and audible pitch) of non-flight wing vibrations, which could have consequences on the effectiveness of bee communication and their role as pollinators.”