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Shrinking Trees and Tuskless Elephants: Strange Ways Species Adapt to Humans (Maria)
The author writes, “From the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean, humanity’s influence has touched every part of planet Earth. Many plants and animals are evolving in response, adapting to a human-dominated world. One notable example came during the Industrial Revolution, when the peppered moth turned from black and white to entirely black after soot darkened its habitat. The black moths were camouflaged against the soot-covered trees, surviving to pass on their genes to the next generation. As human influence has expanded, so too have the strange adaptations forced on the natural world.”
USDA’s Tyson Foods Investigation Collected Thousands of Documents. Would Donald Trump End It? (Reader Jim)
From Michigan Advance: “Despite remaining tight-lipped about its investigation into Tyson Foods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has collected nearly 18,000 related documents. However, some worry the inquiry could end under the next Trump administration. In August, Investigate Midwest reported that the nation’s largest poultry processor was under investigation by the USDA’s Packers and Stockyard Division, the office that enforces longstanding regulations meant to protect livestock producers from unjust practices. The current investigation follows Tyson’s sudden closure of several meatpacking plants last year, which left many poultry farmers in debt and facing bankruptcy.”
Wisconsin’s Rural Homelessness Crisis and the Fight To Do ‘More With Less’ (Al)
From Wisconsin Watch: “In rural Wisconsin, homelessness is often hidden behind a veil of individuals and families who are couch surfing and sleeping in their vehicles instead of sleeping on city streets or camping out in parks. Resources are few and far between, shelters are always full, and funding can be a significant challenge at the local, state and federal level. After falling for years, the state’s estimated homeless population has been rising since 2021. This past year it rose again from 4,861 in 2023 to 5,037.”
New Taliban Rule Mandates Women Must Not Be Seen From Neighbors’ Homes (Dana)
From Kabul Now: “Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a new decree regulating window placement in buildings, ordering that women must not be visible from neighboring homes while cooking, sitting, or standing. The five-point decree, announced Saturday, December 29, by the Taliban’s Administrative Affairs Office on X (formerly Twitter), outlines strict measures to ensure women’s privacy. According to the first article, any new building constructed within a pathway’s distance of another structure cannot have windows facing the neighbor’s kitchen, water well, or any area where women are commonly present.”
Can the Heart Heal Itself? New Study Says It Can (Mili)
The author writes, “Physician-scientists found that a subset of artificial heart patients can regenerate heart muscle, which may open the door to new ways to treat and perhaps someday cure heart failure.”
Should You Trust an AI-Assisted Doctor? I Visited One To See. (Russ)
The author writes, “AI is coming to your relationship with your doctor, if it hasn’t already. Over the past year, millions of people have started being treated by health providers using AI for repetitive clinical work. The hope is that it will make doctors less stressed out, speed up treatment and possibly spot mistakes. That’s exciting. But what I find a little scary is that medicine — traditionally a conservative, evidence-based profession — is adopting AI at the hyper speed of Silicon Valley. These AI tools are being widely adopted in clinics even as doctors are still testing when they’re a good idea, a waste of time or even dangerous.”
The Great Abandonment: What Happens to the Natural World When People Disappear? (Laura)
The author writes, “Across the globe, vast swathes of land are being left to be reclaimed by nature. To see what could be coming, look to Bulgaria.”
