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Corridors and Crossings: Experts Fight To Save Endangered Florida Panther (Maria)
The author writes, “The fate of the endangered Florida panther, also known as the North American cougar, could depend on a network of wildlife corridors and panther crossings currently being established by conservation groups and state officials. The North American cougar once roamed throughout the southern US, Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told ABC News. … There are only about 200 panthers left in the wild. Experts say the only way for the species to recover is to expand their range northward.”
Biden’s Surprise Proposal to Debate Trump Early, Explained (Laryn)
The author writes, “Biden’s proposal for a June debate is surprising, since every presidential debate has been in September or October. We don’t know exactly what the campaign is thinking, but there are a few likely considerations.”
Supreme Court Upholds Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Funding, Rejecting GOP Challenge (Reader Jim)
The authors write, “The Supreme Court preserved the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Thursday by upholding the agency’s funding mechanism as constitutional in a 7-2 vote. The justices’ decision caps a battle that marked the biggest legal threat to the CFPB since it was established in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to crack down on predatory lending and enforce consumer protection laws. Two lender trade associations, backed by business groups and all the nation’s Republican state attorneys general, contended the agency’s funding from the Federal Reserve violates Congress’s power of the purse. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas rejected that argument and sided with the Biden administration.”
A Flyer in Her Name Told Migrants to Vote for Biden. But She Says She Didn’t Write It (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “April 15 started off as a typical day for Gabriela Zavala. Like usual, she was focused on juggling a busy family life with remotely running a small organization that helps asylum-seekers in Matamoros, Mexico. But by evening, the 41-year-old’s email inbox started to fill with threats. … The vitriol started after a social media thread from one of the most influential conservative institutions in the U.S. went viral. ‘BREAKING – Flyers distributed at NGO in Mexico encouraging illegals to vote for President Biden,’ read the first post in a 10-part thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted at 9:03 p.m. U.S. Central time by the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project.”
FROM 2023: What the Trump Indictment Can Teach Us About Good Writing (Al)
From WBUR: “While the facts detailed in the indictment would be shocking no matter how they were presented, special counsel Jack Smith and his team made some intentional writing choices that make this document — and therefore the case against Trump — especially effective.”
Chimps Are Dying of the Common Cold. Is Great Ape Tourism To Blame? (Laura)
From The Guardian: “[The] phenomenon of animals catching diseases from humans, called reverse zoonoses, affects species around the world — from mussels contaminated with hepatitis A virus to tuberculosis transmitted to Asian elephants. But because of their evolutionary closeness to humans, great apes tend to be most vulnerable. For some great ape populations that live in protected areas, reverse zoonoses are an even bigger threat than habitat loss or poaching. In a group at Kibale, for example, respiratory pathogens such as human rhinovirus C and HMPV have been the leading chimp killers for more than 35 years, accounting for almost 59% of deaths from a known cause.”
Why You Should Let Your Grass Grow (Gerry)
From The Washington Post: “Your vibrant green lawn may look lush, but it’s actually an ecological wasteland. … As our communities have taken over wild lands, this trimmed turf has spread over tens of millions of acres across the United States, displacing native plants and leaving butterflies, birds and bees with fewer places to feed, rest and nest. As a result, their populations have plummeted. But let your grass grow a few inches, and some of that wildlife starts coming back. This is the idea behind the ‘no mow’ movement, a push across the United States and Britain to stop the use of herbicides, pesticides and gas-guzzling mowers during the month of May. It’s a good first step, but there’s plenty you can do to make your yard more inviting to pollinators and other critters.”
