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Mr. Greedy, Penguin Progenitor of More Than 200 Chicks, Dies Aged 33 (Maria)
The author writes, “A zoo in Baltimore is mourning the death of an African penguin that helped save his kind from extinction by leaving behind more than 200 descendants while living far longer than expected. The remarkable creature in question is Mr. Greedy, who was euthanized because of health problems related to his age: 33, or well past African penguins’ 18-year median life expectancy, said an announcement from his home, the Maryland zoo. ‘This one bird was incredibly important to the continued existence of African penguins throughout the world,’ the Maryland zoo’s bird curator and program leader, Jen Kottyan, said in a statement. Kottyan said Mr. Greedy had a hand in siring 230 descendants … all but staving off extinction for a species.”
Sorry Tucker Carlson, Promoting Holocaust Deniers Is Still a Red Line (Sean)
From Newsweek: “There is an alarming phenomenon playing out on the online right, perpetuated by some of its most influential and popular voices: the embrace of anti-American, anti-Western, and antisemitic ‘brave truth telling.’ … The latest upset is Tucker Carlson’s promotion of a David Irving-style pseudo-intellectual Holocaust denier on his show (or, as Tucker puts it, ‘the best and most honest popular historian in the United States’). The Nazis, this guest explains to a fascinated Carlson, didn’t want to kill the Jews. They were merely ‘completely unprepared to deal with the millions and millions of prisoners of war, of local political prisoners… They just threw these people into camps, and millions of people ended up dead there.’”
Democrats Go to New Heights to Spotlight Project 2025, Flying Banners Over College Football Stadiums (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Democrats have denounced it in hundreds of ads and billboards, printed it in oversize book form as a convention prop, and mentioned it in seemingly every speech and press statement. On Saturday, they took their campaign against the conservative Project 2025 blueprint, written by allies of Republican Donald Trump, to the sky above college football stadiums in key swing states. Democratic National Committee -sponsored banners pulled by small airplanes flew Saturday over Michigan Stadium, where the defending national champion Wolverines lost to Texas, and at home games for Penn State and Wisconsin.”
Far Right Set To Win in a German State for the First Time Since WWII (Mili)
The authors write, “Deemed an extremist organization by domestic intelligence in three German states, the AfD has overcome deep-seated taboos over nationalist politics in Germany.”
US Universities Spent the Summer Strategizing To Suppress Student Activism. Here Is Their Plan. (Reader Pat)
From Mondoweiss: “Schools across the U.S. have altered policies and even landscapes in an attempt to make a repeat of last spring’s Palestine protests impossible. The result is a far-reaching war on free expression and the increased militarization of higher education.”
‘Proving Them Wrong’: After Raising Minimum Wage, California Has More Fast-Food Jobs Than Ever (DonkeyHotey)
From Salon: “Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the state’s fast-food minimum wage increase into law, which meant that employees at fast-food restaurants in the state went from making $15.50 per hour to $20 per hour. While the decision was lauded by many labor activists as part of broader efforts to improve working conditions and address wage disparities, some economists and fast-food industry members expressed concern over how the law would impact restaurants’ operating costs, which could result in reduced hours for workers or even job cuts. However, according to new state and federal employment data, California’s fast-food industry has added jobs every month this year — including 11,000 new jobs since the wage increase officially went into effect in April.”
Counting All the Fish in the Sea May Be Even Trickier Than Scientists Thought (Laura)
The author writes, “Counting the number of fish in the ocean may well be one of science’s toughest jobs. It also produces a crucial tool governments use to protect marine ecosystems that feed millions of people across the world. Fish stock assessments work a lot like climate models. Scientists gather a wide range of data from fish catches, like age and weight, and track environmental conditions, like the temperature of the sea, and use mathematical models to estimate the health of fish populations. The analysis is then used to make recommendations to governments. But as fishery scientists often say, counting fish is a lot like counting trees, except that they move and you can’t see them.”
