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The Best Phone Apps for Nature Lovers (Maria)
The author writes, “With a phone at your fingertips, the world is your oyster, or hoopoe, or oak tree. It’s now possible to identify everything from mystery animal tracks to elusive birdsong via an app. Beyond that, your sightings could contribute valuable information to scientific studies and conservation efforts around the globe. While phones often get the blame for distracting users from their physical environment, technology can also be a way to connect with the natural world. Here’s how.”
The 19 People Accused of Trying to Overturn the 2020 Election in Georgia to Keep Trump in Power (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Four of the 18 people charged alongside former President Donald Trump with participating in an illegal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia have now negotiated deals with prosecutors, pleading guilty to reduced charges in exchange for their truthful testimony in future trials. … Trump and the others charged in the case have pleaded not guilty. … Here’s a look at the 19 people charged.”
Speaker Mike Johnson and Painful the Cost of ‘Heroism’ (Al)
From Faith on View: “I just saw the news that Mike Johnson from Louisiana was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives. As he became the leading contender some of my friends began a group chat about it. You see, we all have a connection to Mike Johnson. We all spent time at Louisiana College (LC), now called Louisiana Christian University. Some of us were students, some were faculty but the trauma we experienced from that situation created a strong bond between us all.”
Why Egypt and Other Arab Countries Are Unwilling to Take in Palestinian Refugees From Gaza (Sean)
The author writes, “As desperate Palestinians in sealed-off Gaza try to find refuge under Israel’s relentless bombardment in retaliation for Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack, some ask why neighboring Egypt and Jordan don’t take them in. The two countries, which flank Israel on opposite sides and share borders with Gaza and the occupied West Bank, respectively, have replied with a staunch refusal. … Here is a look at what is motivating Egypt’s and Jordan’s stances.”
USPS Is Falsifying Safety Docs as Its Workers Die of Heat (Laura)
From The Nation and the Texas Observer: “USPS continues to violate the standards of its own Heat Illness Prevention Program (HIPP) — some mail carriers say they have not yet completed training for this program, which would violate the standards of the USPS own HIPP. What’s more, the agency is alleged to have covered this up by doctoring records to show that HIPP training was completed.”
Antarctic Sea-Ice at ‘Mind-Blowing’ Low Alarms Experts (Mili)
From the BBC: “The sea-ice surrounding Antarctica is well below any previous recorded winter level, satellite data shows, a worrying new benchmark for a region that once seemed resistant to global warming. ‘It’s so far outside anything we’ve seen, it’s almost mind-blowing,’ says Walter Meier, who monitors sea-ice with the National Snow and Ice Data Center. An unstable Antarctica could have far-reaching consequences, polar experts warn.”
Confederate Monument Melted Down to Create New, More Inclusive Public Art (Dana)
The author writes, “Communities across the American South have removed Confederate monuments from public spaces in recent years. Some have gone to museums, others are locked away in storage. But one particularly controversial statue from Charlottesville, Va. is on a different journey — to be transformed into something new. The massive bronze sculpture of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, in uniform, astride his horse Traveler, stood in a downtown Charlottesville park for nearly a century. It was at the center of a deadly white nationalist rally in 2017, when Neo-Nazis and white supremacists tried to stop the city’s plans to remove the statue. … Charlottesville prevailed in a protracted legal battle with the Sons of Confederate Veterans and other groups, and donated the Lee statue to a coalition that proposed to melt it down and create a more inclusive public art installation.”
