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Photographer Captures Life in America’s Last Remaining Old-Growth Forests (Maria)
The author writes, “‘As humans, our everyday lives are sustained by the behaviors and interactions of forest organisms,’ photographer David Herasimtschuk writes of old-growth forests. … In the last 10 years, Herasimtschuk has photographed forests across the Pacific Northwest, documenting the inhabitants of these last remaining old-growth ecosystems. From salamanders and salmon to bears and mountain lions, his images illustrate not only the beauty of the forests and their creatures but [also] the symbiotic relationships which are vital to the forests’ health and the planet’s welfare.”
Right-Wing Influencer Network Tenet Media Allegedly Spread Russian Disinformation (DonkeyHotey)
From Wired: “A Tennessee-based media network that produces shows for high-profile right-wing influencers such as Benny Johnson and Tim Pool was largely funded by Russian state-backed news network RT, according to a federal indictment against two RT employees that the US Department of Justice unsealed on Wednesday. The DOJ claims the US company — which WIRED, along with other news outlets, was able to identify as Tenet Media but goes unnamed in the indictment — posted hundreds of videos on social media that pushed Kremlin-approved talking points.”
Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest Fires in August Reach 14-Year High (Laura)
The author writes, “The number of fires in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest region for the month of August surged to the highest level since 2010, government data showed on Sunday, after a record drought that has been plaguing the biome. Last year’s rains came late and were weaker than usual because a weather pattern, known as El Niño, was supercharged by climate change, leaving the rainforest especially vulnerable to this year’s fires. Satellites detected 38,266 fire hotspots in the Amazon in August, more than double compared to the previous year.”
Stephen King Reacts to 23 of His Books Being Banned in Florida Schools (Sean)
From The Independent: “Stephen King has given a blunt three-word response to discovering that 23 of his books have been banned from school libraries in Florida, a law that is now being challenged by six major book publishers. In 2022, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed landmark legislation that targeted books that included any sexually explicit material, following complaints from conservative group Moms for Liberty. The law was brought into effect in July 2023 and has seen noteworthy classics such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain all removed. … King, who is no stranger to voicing his political opinion, wrote in response to learning just how many of his books have been banned: ‘Florida has banned 23 pf [sic] my books. What the f***?’”
‘Anything That Can Be Built Can Be Taken Down’: The Largest Dam Removal in US History Is Complete — What Happens Next? (Dana)
From the BBC: “The Klamath River is free of four huge dams for the first time in generations. But for the Yurok tribe, the river’s restoration is only just beginning — starting with 18 billion seeds.”
Republicans Encourage Mail-in Voting Even as Trump Disparages It (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Although former President Trump has spent years attacking the integrity of early and mail-in voting, his campaign and the Republican National Committee this week launched what they called a ‘huge’ and ‘revolutionary’ effort to encourage both methods of casting ballots in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. In an email promoting a website called SwampTheVoteUSA.com, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement: ‘As President Trump has consistently said, voting by mail, voting early, and voting on Election Day are all good options.’”
Over 1,700 Frozen Viruses Found in a Tibetan Glacier (Russ)
From Popular Science: “Above 20,000 feet in the Himalayas, yaks are one of your only transportation options. It takes dozens of the furry beasts to help you move an entire glacier core back down to the freezer truck, each carrying about 40 feet-worth of segments of long-frozen ice on its back. ‘We have to have a whole herd of yaks,’ says Lonnie Thompson, a paleoclimatologist and glaciologist at Ohio State University. … ‘Yaks are kind of like cats, they have their own idea of what should be done,’ he tells Popular Science. But if you can wrangle them (with the help of a Tibetan Whistler), then you’ve retrieved a slice of ancient ecological history. Inside you might uncover something never documented before — for instance, the preserved genomes of 1,705 virus species, going back as far as 41,000 years.”
