Butterfly Wing Patterns Give Predators the Old Razzle-Dazzle

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Butterfly Wing Patterns Give Predators the Old Razzle-Dazzle (Maria)

The author writes, “The striking coloration of butterflies makes it easy to catch a glimpse of them on the wing. Actually catching one of these insects midflight is another story, however. That’s because the dazzling patterns of their wings create powerful visual illusions as they flap, tricking predators into missing them, researchers report in Nature.”

ICE Hides Locations of Thousands of Detainees With Final Removal Orders (Dana)

The author writes, “US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding thousands of detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, an unannounced move that has made it far more difficult for lawyers and relatives to find them, according to current and former officials familiar with the practice. ICE removed those detainees from its online detainee locator system on Sept. 15, according to three current and former ICE officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the change. Several lawyers contacted by The Associated Press confirmed their clients vanished from the system.”

Super El Niño to Cause 451,000 Heat Deaths (Laura)

From Inside Climate News: “More than 451,000 people are projected to die across the globe in the next six months from the additional heat brought by a super El Niño, according to estimates from climate scientists released Wednesday. The El Niño — the warm phase of the Pacific Ocean’s recurring cycle, when heat from the ocean is released into the atmosphere — began in June. It can intensify and affect storms, fisheries and rainfall patterns far from the Pacific, raising global land temperatures. In the new estimates, scientists at the University of Chicago Climate Impact Lab project the hotter land conditions brought by El Niño will resemble the higher temperatures climate change is predicted to deliver in 20 years.”

The MAGA Factor (Gerry)

From Robert Reich: “Today, with just over five weeks to go before the midterm elections, I want to point out a critical distinction that’s not being picked up in the media — between people who voted for Trump in 2024 but do not identify as part of the MAGA movement and people who voted for Trump in 2024 and still do identify themselves as part of the MAGA movement. … Over half (52 percent) of people who voted for Trump in 2024 but don’t consider themselves part of the MAGA movement say the cost of living in their area is the ‘worst’ it has ever been. Nearly half say they either wouldn’t vote for a Republican in the midterms or are still making up their minds.”

CNN Is Getting New Owners With Close Ties to Trump (Reader Jim)

From NPR: “Let’s spare a moment now to consider the week that journalists at CNN had. Those who cover the White House were blocked from working there, along with journalists at Politico and MS NOW, all because President Trump disapproved of their news coverage. They were eventually let back after a court order, but then the White House banned CNN from traveling on Air Force One this weekend. All that drama eclipsed an arguably more sweeping change for the network. CNN is getting new owners — ones allied with Trump.”

Why Is Sam Altman a Free Man? (Sean)

From The American Prospect: “OpenAI’s models aren’t ‘going rogue’ from their creators as much as they are mimicking them.”

One of America’s Largest Reservoirs Just Hit a Record Low (Mili)

The author writes, “Lake Powell has fallen to its lowest level on record after an exceptionally dry and warm winter left the Colorado River Basin with little mountain snow to melt. Lake Mead also reached record lows, raising concerns for a river system that supplies water and power to more than 40 million people. Federal officials have taken emergency steps to stabilize Lake Powell, including sending in water from another reservoir and reducing releases downstream.”