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Threatened High-Speed Falcon Wins New Zealand’s 2025 Bird of The Year (Maria) 

The author writes, “New Zealand’s fastest bird, capable of flying 124 mph in pursuit of prey, has been crowned bird of the year in a long-running annual competition…The threatened kārearea is New Zealand’s only falcon. It is small and tawny, with impressive talons and large dark eyes. Kārearea are powerful aerial hunters and watch other birds, lizards or small mammals — sometimes larger than themselves — from a high vantage point before diving at high speed to snatch their prey.”

FBI Fires Agents Photographed Kneeling During 2020 Racial Justice Protest (Reader Steve) 

The author writes, “The bureau last spring had reassigned the agents but has since fired them, said the people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss personnel matters with The Associated Press. The number of FBI employees terminated was not immediately clear, but two people said it was roughly 20…The kneeling had angered some in the FBI but was also understood as a possible de-escalation tactic during a period of protests.”

Ex-Israeli Prime Minister’s Hacked Emails Reveal Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein (Sean) 

From Straight Arrow News: “Emails hacked from the inbox of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak reveal discussions with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including exchanges about a trip to the disgraced financier’s private island. The emails — stolen last year by Handala, a hacking group with suspected ties to Iranian intelligence agencies — were provided to Straight Arrow News on Wednesday by the nonprofit leak archiver DDoSecrets…Emails reviewed by SAN show the closeness of Barak’s relationship with Epstein and the informality with which they addressed each other. In January 2014, Barak mentioned efforts to keep his security detail from accompanying him to Little Saint James, Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean.”

Hurricane Helene Hit North Carolina a Year Ago. Some Students Never Returned to School (Laura) 

The author writes, “Thousands of students across western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with some of the most vicious floods, landslides and wind ever seen in the state’s Appalachian region, once considered a ‘climate haven.’ Across the state, more than 2,500 students were identified as homeless as a direct result of Helene, according to state data obtained by The Associated Press.”

How the Supreme Court Turned Trump Into a Danger to Everyone (Dana) 

From The New Republic: “The theoretical underpinnings of American constitutionalism—separation of powers, checks and balances, and the idea that no one is above the law—have long served as guideposts for a functioning democracy. But in practical terms, the legal regime constructed by the Supreme Court has gutted the possibility of redress for the victims of executive overreach. The court has, in effect, created a special legal zone around the presidency—as well as executive agents writ large—in which actions, even when blatantly illegal, are immunized from consequences.”

Humanity’s Toxic Wreckage Is Teeming With Life, Scientists Discover (Laryn) 

From 404 Media: “By the mid-20th century, millions of tons of munitions from both World Wars had been dumped into coastal waters. Now, scientists reveal that these weapons of death have become bustling hubs of life by attracting fish, mollusks, microbes, among other creatures. Footage captured during submersible dives last year shows thriving aquatic communities on war detritus in the Baltic Sea.”