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Birth of Rare Mountain Gorilla Twins Recorded in Congo Park (Maria)

The author writes, “A mountain gorilla has given birth to twins in war-ravaged eastern Congo, a national park said on Wednesday, in what it described as ‘a major event’ for the endangered subspecies. The birth of the two male gorillas to a mother named Mafuko was discovered on Jan. 3, and the twins ‘appeared to be in healthy condition at the time of the observation,’ Virunga National Park said in a statement.”

The Trump Doctrine: Violence Is Us (Dana)

From Mother Jones: “The military assault on Venezuela, the shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent, the launch of the White House’s new revisionist website about January 6 — these three events convey a powerful and unsettling message from Donald Trump and his crew: Violence is ours to use, at home and abroad, to get what we want.”

Republicans Break Ranks To Halt Future Trump Attacks on Venezuela (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “A group of Republican senators delivered Donald Trump a message of opposition to begin the new year as they limited the president’s ability to launch new attacks on Venezuela. Five members of the president’s party broke ranks to support a War Powers Act resolution sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, aimed at preventing the White House from using resources to support further military action inside Venezuela following the capture of the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro.”

‘Those Who Eat Chilean Salmon Cannot Imagine How Much Human Blood It Carries With It’ (Laura)

From The Guardian: “The country is the world’s second-largest producer of the popular fish, and the biggest supplier to the US, but its farms are beset by accusations of dangerous labor conditions, antibiotic overuse and ecological harm.”

Healthy 18-Year-Old Welder Nearly Died of Anthrax — The 9th Such Puzzling Case (Reader Jim)

The author writes, “With the new year comes a new report of a deadly, puzzling infectious disease. In a January 1 case study, health officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state of Louisiana revealed that a ninth metalworker contracted a rare, often fatal case of ‘welder’s anthrax,’ a condition only first described in 2022.”

A Forgotten Chapter: The Stories of Allied POWs in Nagasaki During the Atomic Bombing (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “Hundreds of prisoners of war from Allied countries were held at brutal Japanese camps in Nagasaki when the United States dropped an atomic bomb 80 years ago. Their presence during the Aug. 9, 1945, bombing is little known, and family and researchers have been collecting and publishing testimonies to tell the stories of these often unrecognized victims.”