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Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers’ Recovery in Southeast Leads to Status Change (Maria)
The author writes, “The red-cockaded woodpecker, an iconic bird in southeastern forests, has recovered enough of its population to be downlisted from an endangered species to a threatened one, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced … ‘The downlisting of the red-cockaded woodpecker marks a significant milestone in our nation’s commitment to preserving biodiversity,’ said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in a statement. At one point in the 1970s, the red-cockaded woodpecker population had dipped as low as 1,470 clusters — or groups of nests, wildlife officials said. Today, there are an estimated 7,800 clusters.”
‘Put Them in Trauma’: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda (Reader Andrew)
From ProPublica: “A key ally to former President Donald Trump detailed plans to deploy the military in response to domestic unrest, defund the Environmental Protection Agency and put career civil servants ‘in trauma’ in a series of previously unreported speeches that provide a sweeping vision for a second Trump term. In private speeches delivered in 2023 and 2024, Russell Vought, who served as Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, described his work crafting legal justifications so that military leaders or government lawyers would not stop Trump’s executive actions. He said the plans are a response to a ‘Marxist takeover’ of the country; likened the moment to 1776 and 1860, when the country was at war or on the brink of it; and said the timing of Trump’s candidacy was a ‘gift of God.’”
Microsoft Fires Employees Who Organized Vigil for Palestinians Killed in Gaza (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Microsoft has fired two employees who organized an unauthorized vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza during Israel’s war with Hamas. The two employees told The Associated Press they were fired by phone call late Thursday, several hours after a lunchtime event they organized at Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington. Both workers were members of a coalition of employees called ‘No Azure for Apartheid’ that has opposed Microsoft’s sale of its cloud-computing technology to the Israeli government. But they contended that Thursday’s event was similar to other Microsoft-sanctioned employee giving campaigns for people in need.”
The Most Misogynistic Ad in the History of Politics (DonkeyHotey)
From Popular Information: “On Friday afternoon, America PAC posted a video ad attacking Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. ‘America really can’t afford a “C-Word” in the White House right now,’ America PAC posted, adding a laughing emoji. ‘Kamala Harris is a “C word,” the narrator of the ad says. ‘You heard that right. A big ole “C word.”’ The ‘joke’ of the ad is that Harris is a ‘communist.’ Of course, Harris is not a communist. And the ad makes no effort to show she is a communist.”
Hundreds More Infants Died After Dobbs Ruling (Mili)
The author writes, “Nationwide, infant mortality was higher than expected in the months that followed the Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that eliminated federal abortion protections, researchers found. After the Dobbs decision in June 2022, approximately 0.38 additional infant deaths per 1,000 live births overall and 0.13 additional infant deaths per 1,000 live births with congenital anomalies occurred through 2023 compared with rates from 2018 to the ruling. … These findings corresponded with a 7% absolute increase in infant mortality overall, representing 247 excess deaths.”
Why It Would Be Difficult for Trump To Reverse the 2024 Election Results (Gerry)
The author writes, “Donald Trump has ramped up his baseless accusations that Democrats are plotting to ‘cheat’ or ‘steal’ the election, raising fears that the former president is setting the stage for an attempt to overturn the result if Vice President Kamala Harris wins. But any effort to derail the electoral process would run up against an array of new guardrails this time around, legal experts say, making it unlikely that any such attempt would succeed. The new protections include: an electoral law Congress passed in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection, recent court rulings, more vigilance from state election officials, and more aggressive law enforcement by agencies determined to avoid a repeat of violent scenes from the US Capitol four years ago.”
Can the Tire Industry Be Sustainable? Guayule Farmers Say Yes (Reader Jim)
From The Washington Post: “With water cuts looming in 2019, Will Thelander planted guayule on a 20-acre patch of his 6,000-acre farm in Pinal County, Ariz. He knew the hardy green shrub thrives in blistering heat and can survive months with little water. His initial investment was much more than a water scarcity choice. Guayule (pronounced why-OO-lee) could be, within the next decade, a source of rubber for tire manufacturers in the United States.”
Imposters Stole Thousands of Pounds of Posh Cheddar, Rattling the UK Cheese World (Dana)
From NPR: “The British artisanal cheese community is reeling from what it’s calling the great — or grate — cheese heist of 2024 after imposters stole tens of thousands of pounds of high-value cheddar from a major distributor. London-based retailer and cheesemaker Neal’s Yard Dairy announced last week that it had been the ‘victim of a sophisticated fraud resulting in the loss of over £300,000 worth of clothbound Cheddar’ — the equivalent of more than $389,000. … The thieves made off with 950 wheels — over 22 metric tons, or roughly 48,500 pounds — of Hafod, Westcombe, and Pitchfork cheddar.”
