Tropical Forests See Bird Declines. Is Another ‘Silent Spring’ in the Wings?

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Fading Melodies: Tropical Forests Are Seeing Bird Declines. Is Another ‘Silent Spring’ in the Wings? (Maria)

The author writes, “The lilting song of the musician wren once commonly heralded sunrise in the central Amazon jungle. But last October, it was a rare wonder. … Near the Brazilian city of Manaus and in other tropical forests across the Americas, birds are vanishing from surprising places — expanses of forest untouched by fires, chainsaws or bulldozers. Many of the species spend their entire lives in a single patch of trees. The discovery of puzzling declines has received little publicity, but they are setting off alarm bells among scientists.”

Kansas Informs Trans Residents Their Driver’s Licenses Are Invalid as of Thursday (DonkeyHotey)

From The Kansas City Star: “Transgender Kansans [were] informed on the eve of a new state law going into effect that their driver’s licenses [would] be considered invalid as of Thursday. ‘Please note that the Legislature did not include a grace period for updating credentials. That means that once the law is officially enacted, your current credentials will be invalid immediately, and you may be subject to additional penalties if you are operating a vehicle without a valid credential,’ read letters mailed by the Kansas Department of Revenue’s vehicles division and dated Monday.” 

How Trump’s Tariffs Could Survive the Supreme Court Ruling (Sean)

The author writes, “The Supreme Court ruled that U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to levy tariffs against nearly every country in the world is unconstitutional. … Though this ruling settles an important legal matter, the battle over tariffs is far from over. … In fact, Congress has delegated several trade authorities to the executive branch over the years. And, shortly after the ruling, Trump announced that he  would reach for them to rebuild his tariff wall. However, each tool has specific limitations that he will need to consider and could face additional legal challenges. Here’s a detailed breakdown of some of the main authorities that Trump will lean on to keep tariffs on his trade agenda.”

Trump Mass Deportation: A Journalist’s Fear From the Inside (Reader Steve)

From Palabra: “A Latino independent journalist and former CNN correspondent reflects on his experience meeting face-to-face the anti-immigrant rhetoric from LA to Minneapolis.”

‘A Disaster Waiting to Happen’: How the Fracking Boom Put an Oil Field in the Guadalupe River Floodplain (Laura)

From Inside Climate News: “More than 500 enormous oil tanks dot the floodplains of the Guadalupe River and its tributaries where they cross one of Texas’ leading oilfields, an Inside Climate News investigation has found, posing risk of an environmental disaster. Longtime residents of these historic ranchlands still remember the last time these plains filled up with water in a biblical inundation in 1998. That was before the fracking boom hit this region and the oil-rich geological formation that lies beneath it, known as the Eagle Ford Shale. Today, a repeat of the historic flood could wreak havoc, locals worry.”

16 Astonishing Images From the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards (Dana)

The author writes, “From a tender moment between a crane and her chick to a heartbreaking image of a polar bear cub’s final moments, the finalists for the Nuveen People’s Choice Award of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest stun. Photographers from 113 countries and territories submitted more than 60,000 images for consideration. A judging panel of photography, wildlife, conservation and science experts whittled the finalists list down to 24 photographs that are now competing for votes from the public.”