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Wild Bees Visit Different Flowers To Balance Diet (Maria)
The author writes, “Wild bees visit different flowers to balance their intake of protein, fat and carbohydrates, a study has found. A team of ecologists observed eight species of wild bumblebees in the Colorado Rockies over eight years to develop a comprehensive nutritional map…The team tracked which flowers each bee species visited for pollen, and clear patterns emerged.”
Top Florida Official Says ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Will Likely Be Empty Within Days (Reader Steve)
From AP News: “In a message sent to South Florida Rabbi Mario Rojzman on Aug. 22 related to providing chaplaincy services at the facility, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said ‘we are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days,’ implying there would soon be no need for the services. Rojzman, and an executive assistant for the rabbi who sent an original email to Guthrie, confirmed to the AP on Wednesday Guthrie’s emailed response to both of them and the veracity of the messages.”
US Government Orders 46 States To Destroy Trans Education Materials (Dana)
The author writes, “The Trump administration’s alleged plans for the trans-inclusive sex ed materials comes after he threatened to pull federal funding from California school districts that do not adhere to his administration’s transgender policies, after the state refused to ban trans girls from female sports…It is the latest escalation in the Republican president’s on-going fight with the state and its Democratic governor Gavin Newsom over trans inclusion in sport, after AB Hernandez – a 16-year-old trans junior at Jurupa Valley High School – became the focus of right-wing vitriol.”
Melting on the Arctic’s Svalbard Islands Shows the Climate Future Is Now (Laura)
From Inside Climate News: “Most of the 2024 glacier melt occurred during six weeks of record-high temperatures driven by a persistent pattern of winds and pressure systems in the atmosphere. The pattern is conducive to summer extremes like heatwaves and droughts, and has been happening more often in recent decades in the human-warmed climate, according to recent research.”
Denmark Summons US Envoy Over Claims of Interference in Greenland (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “Denmark’s foreign minister summoned the top US diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland. In a lengthy written statement, the US State Department confirmed that the deputy chief of mission in Copenhagen, Mark Stroh, had met with Danish foreign ministry officials. It declined to comment ‘on the actions of private US citizens in Greenland.’”
Researchers Successfully Reverse Retinal Damage (Sean)
The author writes, “This study marks the first successful induction of long-term neural regeneration in mammalian retinas, offering new hope to patients with degenerative retinal diseases who previously had no treatment options. As the global population continues to age, the number of retinal disease patients is steadily increasing. However, no treatments exist to restore damaged retinas and vision. The primary reason for this is the mammalian retina’s inability to regenerate once damaged.”
