Tropical Plants Flowering Months Earlier or Later Because of Climate Crisis

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Tropical Plants Flowering Months Earlier or Later Because of Climate Crisis: Study (Maria)

The author writes, “Tropical flowers are blooming months earlier or later than they used to because of climate breakdown, with potentially ‘cascading impacts across ecosystems,’ according to a study of 8,000 plants dating back 200 years. Researchers looked at flowers from a range of countries, including Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana and Thailand. … If a plant’s flowering times change, they may fall out of sync with pollinators.”

Anti-Abortion Coalition Decries ICE Detention Practices: ‘Unborn Children Are Dying’ (Bethany)

From The 19th: “As the U.S. embarks on a massive expansion of the country’s immigrant detention capacity, a coalition of organizations opposing abortion are calling on President Donald Trump to stop detaining pregnant, postpartum, and nursing immigrant women. Rehumanize International, which opposes abortion, the death penalty, war, and other forms of ‘aggressive violence,’ spearheaded an open letter to Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons. Dozens of signatories — including representatives of Secular Pro-Life, Live Action, Anglicans for Life, and some state-level affiliates of the National Right to Life Committee — urged the Trump administration to immediately resume enforcing federal policy against holding pregnant and postpartum women in ICE detention.”

Trump Directs $10B to Board of Peace He Chairs, Giving Him Full Control to Use Funds as He Wishes (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “US President Donald Trump has sparked a constitutional crisis after announcing $10 billion in federal funds will be transferred to a private organization he chairs. The move gives him total control over the money through the ‘Board of Peace,’ an entity launched in January 2026. No federal body or congressional committee will oversee the spending, which Trump claims is intended for international reconstruction efforts.”

As Climate Crisis Upended Homeowners Insurance, the Industry Resisted Regulation (Laura)

The author writes, “In the wake of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in January 2025, the effect of climate change on the insurance industry was detailed in a report by the U.S. Treasury Department. In what it called the most comprehensive snapshot of the homeowners insurance market to date, the agency wrote in its press release that ‘homeowners insurance is becoming more costly and harder to procure for millions of Americans as the costs of climate-related events pose growing challenges to insurers and their customers alike.’”

US Farmers Are Rejecting Multimillion-Dollar Datacenter Bids for Their Land: ‘I’m Not for Sale’ (Dana)

From The Guardian: “Globally, 40,000 acres of powered land — real estate prepped for datacenter development — are projected to be needed for new projects over the next five years, double the amount currently in use. Yet despite sums that often dwarf the land’s recent value, farmers are increasingly shutting the door.”

Scientists Create Universal Nasal Spray Vaccine That Protects Against Covid, Flu, and Pneumonia (Sean)

The author writes, “Scientists at Stanford Medicine have unveiled a bold new kind of ‘universal’ vaccine that could one day protect against everything from COVID-19 and the flu to bacterial pneumonia and even common allergens. Instead of targeting a specific virus or bacterium, the nasal spray vaccine supercharges the lungs’ own immune defenses, keeping them on high alert for months. In mice, it slashed viral levels, prevented severe illness, and even blocked allergic reactions.”

A Bumper Berry Harvest Has New Zealand’s Weird Flightless Parrot in a Rare Mood for Romance (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “The world’s only flightless parrot species was once thought to be doomed by design. The kakapo is too heavy, too slow and, frankly, too delicious to survive around predators, and takes a shamelessly relaxed approach to reproduction. But the nocturnal and reclusive New Zealand native bird’s fate is teetering toward survival after an unlikely conservation effort that has coaxed the population from 50 to more than 200 over three decades. This year, with a bumper crop of the strange parrot’s favorite berries prompting a rare enthusiasm for mating, those working to save the birds hope for a record number of chicks in February, which would move the kakapo closer to defying what was not long ago believed to be certain extinction.”