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Hadedas: Nothing Can Quite Capture the Unique Call of These Birds — It’s Mainly Rude Noise (Maria)
The author writes, “Hadedas are iridescent grey-brown ibises — jack russell-sized birds with long, curved bills and very small heads — found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They have a special skill called ‘remote touch,’ which they use to find their worm, grub and snail prey. At the tip of their bills is an organ that, when they stick it into the soil, can sense the vibrations of their food nearby. … But nothing can quite capture [their call] because it is mainly just rude noise. Noise at dawn that makes you long for a rooster.”
Inaugurating Trump on MLK Day Is a Reflection of American History (Dana)
From the Mississippi Free Press: “I’m not sure whether you can call it poetic or horrific that Martin Luther King Jr. Day takes place on Inauguration Day. If Kamala Harris had won in November, the happenstance would’ve been a momentous occasion that signaled how far we’ve come: let freedom ring, poetic justice — all that. But that’s not where we’re at, so I’ll just say it’s horrific. This day, which is meant to honor a civil-rights legend whom a white supremacist assassinated, is now the day when racial progress is assassinated. This isn’t me being purposefully dramatic, I’m really not one for hyperbole.”
How Trump’s Political and Business Interests Will Intersect in the White House (Sean)
The author writes, “As he assumes the presidency for a second time, Donald Trump brings with him a broad expanse of business relationships and financial entanglements — and the possibility that those associations could influence his decision-making in the White House. Trump’s team dismisses such concerns. ‘President Trump removed himself from his multibillion-dollar real estate empire to run for office and forewent his government salary, becoming the first President to actually lose net worth while serving in the White House,’ Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “Unlike most politicians, President Trump didn’t get into politics for profit — he’s fighting because he loves the people of this country and wants to make America great again.’ But questions remain. Here’s a look at the various connections and potential conflicts in Trump’s second administration.”
JD Vance’s Ohio Hometown Struggles With How To Recognize the Incoming Vice President (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Many residents of this Midwest steel town are bursting with pride at their native son’s accomplishments. But others feel lingering embarrassment over Vance’s unflattering portrayal of Middletown in his best-selling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, or trepidation about Donald Trump’s second White House term, or both.”
‘Homeless People Given Free Lunch’ To Attend Trump Jr. Event in Greenland (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “A group of Greenlanders who attended a lunch hosted by Donald Trump Jr. wearing Make America Great Again caps were not dedicated supporters of the US president-elect but homeless people enticed by the prospect of free food, it has been claimed. Trump Jr visited the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, last week, shortly after his father declared it was an ‘absolute necessity’ for the US to take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. During his visit, Trump Jr. went to the Hotel Hans Egede for lunch with a group of people wearing Maga hats and put his father on speakerphone. The president-elect told them: ‘We’re going to treat you well.’ But Jørgen Bay-Kastrup, the hotel’s chief executive, said many of his guests were not Trump supporters but people his team had met on the street who found out only later who Trump Jr. was.”
No, Russia Is Not on the Verge of a Banking Crisis (Russ)
From The Bell: “This week our top story is an in-depth look at why claims of an imminent banking crisis in Russia are overblown. We also examine the signals coming from the incoming Trump administration about future U.S. sanctions policy toward Russia.”
‘A Place for Kids To Play and a Place To Store Water’: The New Jersey Stormwater Capture Zone That Is Also a Playground (Laura)
From The Guardian: “Nearly four-fifths of the land area in Hoboken — which sits on the western banks of the Hudson River — rests on a flood plain. And its intense susceptibility to flooding has probably never been more apparent than it was during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when 500m gallons of storm surge flooded the city. But now, a dozen years after the storm, Hoboken officials have put in place a series of measures designed to mitigate the destructive effects of storms that are driven by climate change, including one innovation that the city hopes may become known as another Hoboken first.”
