(Image source: BBC)

BY XIAONAN WANG

The Supreme Court of India has halted an ambitious project that would have imported cheetahs from Africa. The Times of India has the reason the court objected to the plan.

“The African cheetah obviously never existed in India. Therefore, it is not a case of intentional movement of an organism into a part of its native range."

The Cheetah Conservation Fund has been working with the Indian government to restore the cheetah to India since 2009.  A specialist from the organization says cheetahs’ wouldn’t have any problem adjusting.

Last year, India’s environment minister told reporters bringing cheetahs back to India is more than just ecological. India’s Daily News and Analysis has his quote.

"It is a matter of deep regret that cheetah have become extinct in India because the word 'cheetah' comes from Sanskrit. … [T]he only mammal to become extinct in India in the last 1,000 years is the cheetah."

According to Voice of America — the cheetah disappeared from India in the 1950s because of over-hunting. An official from Wildlife Protection Society in India tells the blog — halting the importing of cheetahs was the right decision.

“Since we have so many problems protecting and securing a future for our other big cats and endangered species, we don’t need another very expensive headache... It is not worth going through this whole thing when we can't even look after what we have in the wild.”

And a cheetah enthusiast and blogger mentions criticism on the relocation project, suggesting the plan was just money-driven.

“The reintroduction is nothing but a publicity stunt and the wildlife officials involved have nothing but ‘mindless tourism’ as their focus."

(Image source: Daily Mail)

BY SUZANA DALUL

ANCHOR CHRISTIAN BRYANT

The “falling bear,” which recently became an Internet sensation, has been killed in a car accident. The animal gained popularity after a picture of it in midair was spread around online. Then a stream of Photoshopped versions made their way around the web.

However, the fame was not long-lived, reports KUSA-NBC:

“...the bear came back down from the mountain after it was relocated last week and was hit by a car early yesterday morning. The state patrol says that two cars were involved in the accident. One driver suffered minor injuries.”

A spokeswoman for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department tells USA Today relocation doesn’t always work, saying …

"It's a bummer. It's so hard to go through this and not be able to give these bears a good place to live. The community sees relocating bears as a kind of perfect solution, and unfortunately it's a really difficult proposition."

The falling bear even had spoof profiles on Facebook and Twitter. The New York Daily News has the bear’s final Facebook status update.

“I took my last fall early this morning :-( But I’m in a better place now … It wasn’t easy being a living internet meme!”

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

BY ZAKIYYAH WAHAB

ANCHOR CARISSA LOETHEN

Researchers at State University New York in Albany have found wind farms affect local temperature changes in certain areas of the U.S. Fox News has more.

“According to a new study, temperatures increased near four of the largest wind farms in Texas. The problem? The giant propellers caused the air to circulate more. It means during the night, warmer air from higher up in the atmosphere is pulled down to mix with the cooler ground temperatures.”

The study was published in Nature Climate Change, and results show...

“...a significant warming trend of up to 0.72 degrees Centigrade per decade, particularly at night-time, over wind farms relative to nearby non-wind-farms regions.”

The Examiner quotes one of the researchers noting the limitations of the study.

“The estimated warming trends only apply to the study region and … period, and thus should not be interpolated into other regions, globally or over longer periods...”

But The Carbon Brief says some UK media outlets have been suggesting the findings mean wind farms cause climate change.

“The Daily Mail writes a fairly sane and sensible interpretation of the study, giving it an accurate and normal headline in the paper, and then climate sexes it up for an online audience.”

The Daily Mail’s headline in print was: “Wind farms link to rising temperatures could have detrimental impact on wildlife and weather...”

But its online headline reads: “Wind farms make climate change WORSE: Turbines actually heat up local areas”.

Finally — a contributor for Forbes tries to put the big picture into perspective.

“We’re not changing the amount of heat that is disappearing off into space with this and thus not changing the basic energy balance of the planet. We’re just moving it around a bit, that’s all.”

Chris Thorncroft, co-author of the study paper, says they will be expanding their study to other wind farms to understand the interactions of wind turbines and the atmosphere boundary layer near the surface.

(Image Source: CNN/JIMAR)

BY JIM FLINK

ANCHOR CHRISTIAN BRYANT

Almost everyone knows -- sharks and humans don’t always mix.  But it’s not the sharks to fear.
A new study says -- when human populations rise around shark infested waters, it’s the sharks that suffer.
Here’s the Daily Beast.

“ … scientists say that sharks fare far better in areas of the ocean where human fishing activity is minimal. In areas with no or few humans, sharks were recorded in populations of up to 337 per square mile, a number that dropped to about 26 per square mile near the Hawaiian Islands and Samoa.”

Scientists say that represents a 90 percent population decline -- across the Pacific of a group known generally as reef sharks.

This research is coming from a group of North American scientists who have published their findings in the latest issue of the journal Conservation Biology.

Which might indicate why they are so concerned about the effects of fishing on reef sharks.
The Washington Post has more...

“The team of eight scientists examined the results of a decade of underwater surveys across 46 Pacific islands and atolls, and found densities of reef sharks — gray, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks as well as Galapagos and tawny nurse sharks — “increased substantially as human population decreased” and the productivity and temperature of the ocean increased.”

Now to the science of the data. CNN says, the method might sound a little weird.

“The estimates were gathered using “towed-dive surveys” where paired SCUBA divers record shark sightings while being towed behind a small boat. It’s a method which provides a more accurate census of mobile reef fish like sharks over large areas...”
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/28/world/shark-pacific-reef-plummet/index.html?npt=NP1

This latest study forms part of the U.S.’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s -- or NOAA’s -- Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program.



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(Image Source: CU Independent)

(Image source: David Vaughan)

BY MALLORY PERRYMAN

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

A recent study suggests warm water is attacking the underside of ice shelves — and that’s the main cause of massive ice loss in Antarctica. 

The study comes from an international team of scientists led by British Antarctic Survey. The researchers were exploring whether the ice shelves are melting from warm air, or warm ocean currents. 

As an analyst for Planet Earth Online points out...

“Distinguishing between ice loss driven by snow melt on the surface of ice shelves, and ice loss from melting at the base of ice shelves – known as basal melt – isn't a trivial task.”

That’s why — until now — scientists haven’t really been sure why the western edge of Antarctica is losing 23 feet of floating ice each year.

But the scientists in this study were able to use one of NASA’s newest satellites to measure the thickness of floating ice shelves. It’s called ICESat — and it carries an instrument that used lasers to take 4.5 million measurements of the ice shelves. Of the 54 shelves measured — researchers say warm water is melting 20 of them.

One of the researchers explains the phenomenon to the BBC.

“We believe that some factor, probably the winds in the atmosphere, has caused an increase in the rate in which warm water is getting under the ice shelves and delivering heat to them.” 

Why are scientists so concerned about melting ice shelves? Live Science explains...

“... because floating ice sheets act as a brake against the loss of Antarctica's land-bound rivers of ice, or glaciers. As these shelves melt away due to warming waters … glaciers have begun to spill more and more ice into the seas.”

The researchers involved in this study say, ultimately, their goal is to gain a better understanding of the interaction between ice and climate. An analyst for ITV adds, this particular study is important...

“One because it confirms the fear that Antarctic ice is melting because of changing climate. And two because it gives scientists the tools they need to predict how big a threat this is.”

The scientists measured ice-shelf thickness from 2003 to 2008 in order to see changes over time. The results are published in this week’s edition of the scientific journal, Nature.

(Image source: Tree Hugger)
 

BY LIAM KEEGAN

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

A former BP engineer is the first to be criminally charged in connection with a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. But as Fox News reports — the engineer isn’t charged with causing the spill but rather — trying to cover it up.

“A man by the name of Kurt Mix is charged with deleting more than 200 text messages after learning his electronic files were to be collected just months after the spill.”

The Wall Street Journal says the Texas engineer, who faces two counts of obstruction of justice, sent sensitive information by text to his co-worker. Some of those texts contained information that conflicted with BP’s public statements about the size of the spill.

“A message from the first day of the efforts said, ‘Too much flowrate—over 15,000,’ indicating the flow from the well was three times higher than the company had said was the official rate of flow.”

Mix’s text messages also revealed the name of BP’s recovery attempt - Operation Top Kill.

“In [the text messages], Mix admits that a maneuver called Top Kill, in which BP injected heavy fluids into the well to try to stop the flow of oil, was failing.”

Of course — Mix isn’t in trouble for sending the texts. He’s in trouble for erasing them. According to the Washington Post, Mix could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 - if convicted on the obstruction charges. Bloomberg BusinessWeek has an FBI agent’s statement in the case.

“Mix deleted numerous electronic records relating to the Deepwater Horizon disaster response, including records concerning the amount of oil potentially flowing from the well, after being repeatedly informed of his obligation to maintain such records...”

A former environmental crimes chief at the Justice Department tells the New York Times, these new charges still don’t hold anyone accountable for causing the 2010 disaster.

“It is no surprise that the Justice Department would bring obstruction of justice charges if they believe that BP officials attempted to hide information about the size of the spill. But today’s charges leave unanswered the larger question of whether any of the companies involved and any individuals will be criminally charged with causing the worst accidental oil spill in history.”

(Image source: CNN/YouTube)

BY NATHAN BYRNE

ANCHOR CARISSA LOETHEN

Here’s a look at your top news headlines from Newsy.

Both sides are reporting violations of Syria’s cease-fire.

Here’s the BBC.

“The truce is clearly shaky. ... The military are still there in the towns, cities and villages. Their total withdrawal — along with tanks and heavy weapons — was supposed to be the first step in the Annan peace plan … ”   

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate nears an all-time low.

Fox Business goes to the big board for the numbers.

“We flash to the latest read on the 30-year mortgage from Freddie Mac — 3.88%, down again — down from 3.98% last week.”

A special skimming vessel is headed to the Gulf of Mexico to start cleaning up a 10-mile long oil spill.
CNN reports.

“It’s situated about 130 miles southeast of New Orleans between two of the Royal Dutch Shell’s drilling rigs. The company says there’s no indication either is responsible for that oil spill."

Audiences in China have shelled out the equivalent of $24 per ticket to see ‘Titanic 3D,’ but there are two things they won’t see on the big screen.

Blogger Perez Hilton reports China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has censored Kate Winslet’s breasts in the 3D version of the flick.

Stay with Newsy for more multisource video news throughout the day. For Newsy, I’m Carissa Loethen, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.

(Image source: Earth Hour)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR CARISSA LOETHEN

It’s billed as the world’s largest voluntary environmental action. Earth Hour 2012 is scheduled for Saturday, March 31 at 8:30-9:30 p.m. local time. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to turn off the lights.

“With hundreds of millions of people across seven continents building a movement for change.”

The event started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. In 2011, 135 countries and more than 5,000 cities participated. The World Wildlife Fund organizes the event, encouraging participants to turn off all non-essential lighting to raise awareness on the need for climate change action. A WWF spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald:

“I sometimes look at Earth Hour like the New Year’s Eve for the environment. It’s a chance to have a conversation ... about your local environment, your actions and their impact on the environment.”

Landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, and the Empire State Building take part in the event. And this year, it’ll all be documented — from space.

Dutch astronaut André Kuipers will be posting pictures taken from the International Space Station as the event moves round the globe. (Source: André Kuipers)

But Earth Hour isn’t without detractors. A Washington think tank is pushing for what it calls Human Achievement Hour, to take place at the same time. Participants are encouraged to keep the lights on and continue using energy. The event’s creator told MSNBC Earth Hour is all about government overreach.

“Many environmentalists see humans as fundamentally destructive and want to force individuals to conserve … Earth Hour is an attempt to convince lawmakers that the majority of the population wants them to clamp down on progress.”

Others knock Earth Hour from the same side of the aisle. A science writer for the Huffington Post says sudden ups and downs in energy consumption cause power plants to release more emissions than if no Earth Hour took place. What’s more, she says it sends the wrong message.

“Like a lot of feel-good environmental awareness campaigns, Earth Hour makes it seem like personal, individual lifestyle choices are the best way to deal with our energy crisis. They aren't. … The problem isn't individual choices. The problem is the infrastructures that we share, infrastructures that often limit our energy choices and incentivize wasting energy rather than conserving it.”

But an editorial for the Newcastle Herald defended Earth Hour, saying switching off electronics for one hour isn’t meant to change the world, just symbolize participants’ resolve.

“Earth Hour is a call to governments to stay the course on legislative measures to encourage and coerce the world of commerce into seriously pursuing beneficial changes to energy use. People in Australia should be particularly proud that an initiative that originated on their shores has taken root so readily elsewhere.”

(Image Source: BBC)

BY EMILY ALLEN

Will you keep it down?  Plants are trying to grow here.  A US research team found man-made noise inhibits plant growth.  Royal Society Publishing published their findings.

“Because the extent of noise pollution is growing, this study emphasizes that investigators should evaluate the ecological consequences of noise alongside other human-induced environmental changes.”

The study was done in a woodland area in New Mexico with noisy gas wells.  We know plants don’t have ears so Science News explained how the team of researchers got these findings.

Researchers scattered pine seeds in noisy spots and quiet spots in the area.  The scrub jays pick up these seeds and store them for the winter.  However, they can’t eat all of the thousands of seeds they bury and those leftover seeds sprout.  But the jays didn’t show up to the noisy area and quiet areas had four times more seeds.

But the study’s lead author and scholar - Clinton Francis - said these wells aren’t noisy, they’re loud!

“Compressors running nonstop at the wells generate a droning roar…[which] could be compared with the sound of a lower-pitched vacuum cleaner several feet away.”


(AOC)
Scrubs Jays aren’t the only ones in animal kingdom with eardrums ringing from all the noise, noise, noise!  Discovery News points out, other animals are sending the same message - in their own way.

“In loud places, studies have found in the last few years, some birds sing at higher frequencies. Bats can have trouble finding prey. Frogs can struggle to find mates. And whales seem to be vocalizing with more volume to communicate with each other.”

And apparently, this New Mexico spot was the perfect place to host this experiment.

The BBC reports the woodland area didn’t have additional factors like roadways and artificial light that would tamper with the results.

Francis told Audobon Magazine noise pollution is on par with issues like habitat fragmentation or disturbance, and this is definitely not something to keep quiet about.

(Image Source: Discover Magazine)
 
BY EMILY ALLEN
 
Jeepers, creepers!  Swedish scientists have discovered the world’s biggest peepers.  It turns out giant and colossal squid take the cake with eyes the size of basketballs.
 
The Daily Mail reports giant squid can be as large as 27 and a half feet long and weigh a ton.  Still, their eyes are way too big for their bodies. A big swordfish and giant squid are similar in size, but the squid’s eyes are 27 times bigger.

Scientists figured out that giant and colossal squid have the biggest eyes in the animal kingdom.  But the squid is difficult to track and study.  Live Science said it was a big step when scientists caught a glimpse of this creature on camera.
 
Scientists studied dead giant squids that washed up on shores or got caught in nets.  But apparently the animal’s eyes distort once they die so it didn’t provide an accurate measurement.

To get around this problem, The Epoch Times said an international team of researchers created a mathematical model to figure out how far aquatic animals can see underwater.
 
It turns out, the ideal size of an eye for underwater vision isn’t much bigger than an orange – which is a lot smaller than a basketball!

But Discover Magazine points out these big eyes do serve a purpose, headlining....
 
“Giant squid, what big eyes you have.  All the better to spot sperm whales with my dear.”

And that’s important because sperm whales eat giant squid.  But the squid camp out at the bottom of the ocean where there is no light so you wonder how they even see the sperm whales.

Science Codex reports small creatures like jellyfish give off light when sperm whales bump into them.  And that twinkling glow is enough to alert the squid, thanks to their large orbs.
 
Scientific American notes sperm whales don’t need big eyes to spot the squid.  They have something that works even better to see in the dark – sonar.

 

(Image source: Fox Business)

BY VERONICA POLIVANAYA

ANCHOR VICTORIA CRAIG

Aliens are landing in Antarctica, and using humans as spaceships. The Antarctic Treaty forbids people from deliberately introducing foreign species to the continent, but they’re bringing them in by accident. The Register explains.

“Seeds of foreign plants are taking root in the once pristine landscape. As the coldest and driest continent on the planet, Antarctica has a unique ecosystem, which could now be under threat.”

Researchers wanted to quantify the threat of invasive plants, so they vacuumed the clothing and baggage of people who visited Antarctica during the 2007-2008 season. BBC News reports on the findings. 

“Researchers say that some 70,000 seeds are carried on physicists’ clothes every year, threatening to overwhelm the continent’s ecology. The rising temperatures means ice is melting, allowing the seeds to germinate.”

With the continent warming up, and the ice cover dwindling, the study shows that as many as 61 percent of the incoming seeds will be more apt to survive. A writer for Discovery News points out one plant that’s already taken root on the continent.

“Annual bluegrass is the same weed that plagues gardens and golf courses around the world. Sounds like Antarctica may indeed be the next market for lawnmowers.”

But a researcher behind the study doesn’t think Antarctica is beyond salvation. National Geographic Daily News quotes him.

STEVEN CHOWN: “It should not be imagined that Antarctica will suddenly be covered in flowering plants and weeds. Much of it is still a very harsh place, and plants do not grow on ice, which still dominates the continent.”

And according to The Scientist, an invasive species biologist thinks invasive plants may be the least of Antarctica’s problems.

ANTHONY RICCIARDI: “Studies elsewhere have shown that travelers carry fungal spores, insect eggs, and other invertebrates in their clothing and gear. If we’re looking at the absolute picture of what threatens Antarctica, it involves more than plants.”

Another researcher says tourists should only take new or vacuum-cleaned clothing to Antarctica to prevent the spread of invasive plant species. ABC News quotes her.  

DANA BERGSTROM: “If you travel with a tourist company that issues new jackets, then that’s not a threat. But if you’re [taking] your favorite jacket, beanie or backpack, then there’s a high chance you’re inadvertently taking seeds along as well.”

But, should she be so quick to point to tourists? The study showed scientists brought in more seeds than tourists, despite being aware of the dangers of invasive species.

(Image Source: Huntsville Times)

BY JJ BAILEY

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

The central United States is being hit and hit hard by a series of severe storms and tornadoes. Massive twisters have touched down in Indiana and Kentucky, and more tornadoes are expected to touch down. Here’s MSNBC.

“Southern Indiana has been there for the last two or three hours, just devastating tornadoes have moved through that region.”

MSNBC reports the town of Henryville, Indiana took the biggest hit, having been rocked by a quarter mile wide tornado. That may be just the beginning. As the weather moves through the mideast, Fox News outlines the list of big name cities which are on alert.

“And now, the cities that will be most prone to seeing severe weather through the evening, Lexington heading in toward Cincinnati, southbound to Nashville and eventually moving into western West Virginia throughout the overnight.”

The region is no stranger to cyclonic activity. A fact that may have saved many lives. On CNN, Wolf Blitzer talks to the Mayor of Hamilton County, Tennessee town who says people in at-risk towns have done a great job of preparing.

“...we are accustomed to that, the citizens take it extremely serious when there's weather
advisories that go out. ... Because people do train for this and practice for this ... I think as a result of that today we didn’t sustain any fatalities.”

And The Weather Channel is hoping by getting the word out early, it will stay that way. The channel has put up videos constantly reminding citizens that the worst may yet be to come, and to stay out of harms way.

“A lot of this is going to be overnight activity. So that means maybe it’s a good time for you and the kids to have a camp out in the basement ... Look at that TorCon value: nine. Folks you don’t see that value very often.”

(AOC)
The National Weather Service has said most areas threatened are at the highest risk between the hours of 4-8 pm. Stay with Newsy for evolving coverage of the story.

 

(Image Source: The Sun)

BY LUKE LEONARD

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

Step aside Emperor! There’s a new biggest-penguin-on-the-block — but scientists say he hasn’t been seen in some 27 million years. Here’s KABC.

“Scientists in New Zealand reconstructed remains of a 27 million-year-old giant penguin. The penguin stood over four feet tall weighed 132 pounds.”

Scientists in New Zealand discovered the first giant penguin bones 35 years ago — and only recently teamed up with U.S. researchers to re-build the bird from multiple sets of fossils. KOLD explains what the finished product revealed.

“With a long beak and a long trunk, researchers say it had a body shape different to any other known penguin, which allowed them to swim further and to dive deeper.”

The Scientist reports the big penguin species has been named....

“...Kairuku for a Maori word, the language of the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand, that loosely translates to ‘diver who returns with food, …’”

But what happened to the Kairuku? Discovery News says — no one knows for sure, but one scientist involved in the project says it’s probable that...

"...the drastic change in paleoenvironment was the cause of their demise..."

Scientific American reports — this giant penguin species doesn’t have any living descendants, but as one palaeontologist points out...

“...they were an interesting side chapter … It’s cool to see a new type of penguin, and it highlights the fact that this was really a diverse ecosystem of penguins.”

The complete reconstruction of Kairuku will be published on March 1st in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

(Image: ABC News)

BY STACEY WELSH

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

Three experienced skiers died Sunday when an avalanche swept them about 2,000 feet down the side of a Washington mountain. KING-TV interviewed a witness who saw the group head toward an area called “Seventh Heaven.”

“I was thinking to myself you know that's a lot of people going out-of-bounds at this moment … but 14 inches of new snow and people want to get some more fresh powder, you know they're going to go seek it out.”

A sergeant from the King County Sheriff’s Office tells CNN — the skiers had appropriate equipment and although the area was out-of-bounds, they were allowed to be there.

“It’s an out-of-bounds area. Typically you’re going to have the more experienced skiers, if they choose to ski this area. Which, they do so at their own risk.”

Those killed were a part of a group of about 12 skiers who were caught in the avalanche. CBS reports, most of the skiers were able to dig their way out of the snow, but they couldn’t save three others, including...

“...Jim Jack, a former extreme skier who judged ‘free-skiing’ competitions around the world. Friends say he was on the mountain making a video with Chris Rudolph, a marketing director for the Stevens Pass ski area. A third man, John Brenan, also died.”

Pro skier Elyse Saugstad survived the accident by deploying a safety airbag backpack that helped her rise out of the snow. She shared her experience with ABC News.

“It’s not like you’re having an inner tube ride down the snow. It’s definitely not like that. You are still very much in the avalanche itself. It’s kind of like you’re in a washing machine.”

ABC reports the Northwest Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche warning before the accident. Police officials confirmed the group knew about the warning.

(Image source: U.S. Geological Survey)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

There’s a big slithery threat in the Florida everglades. A pet shop favorite is wreaking havoc on the local wildlife. ABC’s Good Morning America has the story.

“Too many pythons. Pythons that big. … A new study actually says that those big guys and gals are now wiping out raccoon, opossum, other mammal populations...”

Researchers first started noticing the snakes in the wild around 12 years ago. They suspect most of the snakes come from pet owners who got tired of their giant snakes. Researchers set out to gauge the snakes’ environmental impact with a census. Discover Magazine has the findings.

“Their roadside census showed that since 2003, when the python populations really took off, raccoon sightings have fallen by 99.3 per cent. Opossum numbers have fallen by 98.9 per cent. There are 87.5 per cent fewer bobcats. They didn’t see a single rabbit.”

The problem is -- pythons are big, they eat nearly everything and they don’t have any natural predators in the everglades. National Geographic reports, it’s still not known how much damage they will eventually cause.

“Also worrisome is what could be happening to species that were already rare -- and thus more difficult to research … For instance, it's unknown whether the snakes are putting the squeeze on the Florida panther, a subspecies of cougar deemed endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”

The federal government recently banned the importation and interstate trade of four species of giant constrictor snakes. But a writer for the National Review has a less-subtle solution: He half-jokingly suggests the government should put a bounty on the snakes.

“Give me five thousand Ted Nugent fans and all the weapons they can carry and the waters of the everglades will run red with Burmese snake blood.”

The study’s lead researcher tells the Tampa Bay Times it’s probably too late to restore the everglades. But by keeping a close eye on the situation, they can hopefully keep the species from spreading.

“The pythons are going to be here long after we’re gone. I guess my hope is that we will learn enough about what has happened here with the Burmese pythons to hopefully prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.”

(Image Source: BBC)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

A British man named Steve Hornsby has blue balls -- blue balls of mysterious jelly, that is, in his yard. But what are they -- and how did they get there? The Guardian has his story:

“Hornsby, an aircraft engineer, said: ‘ … the sky went very dark and then a strange yellow colour. There was then a short, sharp hail storm that lasted for about 20 seconds. … then I spotted something on the lawn and it looked like broken glass.”

What Hornsby found covering his lawn were about 20 gelatinous, blue spheres. He says they were definitely not there before the storm. Hornsby says they have a hard exterior and a softer inside -- they don’t smell, they don’t float. He has one idea about what the balls could be.

“I think it might be some kind of atmospheric pollution that’s been caught up in the hail stones and it’s solidified. ... It’s almost impossible to pick up -- you have to scoop it up, really, and it just falls to pieces.”

But, the BBC reports the Met Office says the balls are, quote, “not meteorological.” The Sun has other speculation.

“A scientist at his local university suggested they may be eggs that were taken from the sea by a bird that dropped them over Steve's house in the hail storm. But this seems unlikely as they are transparent and there are no signs of eggs or an embryo inside.”

So, that idea might be out too. Doubtful News has one more theory -- that the balls are ‘hydrogel balls’ used for planting.

“ … these are described as ‘Crystal Soil’ – a new type of green environmental material, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium … can absorb water up to 50-100times of its original weight, and after expansion it looks colorful and brilliant.”

The gel has been sent to a university for testing.

(Image Source: CNN)

(Image Source: Los Angeles Times)

BY DANNY MATTESON

You're watching multisource tech news analysis from Newsy.

You may want to save the whales, just don’t feed them anything in the process. That’s the message the Government is sending a California woman this week. KNTV explains...

“A prominent marine biologist is facing criminal charges tonight for allegedly feeding killer whales in Monterey Bay. Nancy Black charged with breaking Federal Marine Mammal Protection laws while running her whale watching business.”   

Black is also accused of lying to investigators and editing videotape to conceal evidence. But she is contesting the charges -- saying she merely dragged blubber the whales would have eaten anyway closer to the boat, in an attempt to videotape them for her research.

Her lawyer told The San Francisco Chronicle...

“The federal government says that’s like feeding the bears in Yosemite. You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re not bringing in Twinkies and moving them into cars; this is what they are eating.”

And commentators at Fox think lawmakers may be overstepping their authority -- wading into waters they don’t fully understand.

“Since when are they scientists? I mean, we have maybe two doctors in the room down in congress and one of them is OBGYN. They know nothing!”

If convicted on all charges, including interfering with the investigation, Black could face some serious penalties. The Washington Post reports...

“Black could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a half million dollars in fines. Each of the feeding charges carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.”

According to Black’s website, she has worked with whales and dolphins in the region for over 10 years. Her work has been featured on National Geographic, PBS and Animal Planet.

Follow @NewsyVideos on Twitter

Transcript by Newsy
 

(Image Source: Inside Bay Area)

(Image source: Flickr/Dave Delay)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

In U.S. news — an historic caucus result. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney defeated Rick Santorum ... by just eight votes in Iowa. Ron Paul comes in third. Fox News has more on the rankings.

“After a disappointing fifth place finish last night, Texas Governor Rick Perry says he’s going to go home to Texas to rethink things. He’s also canceled some campaign stops that he’s scheduled for today in South Carolina. … The Perry campaign spokesperson said Thursday would be the earliest any decision could be made. And how about Newt Gingrich? Finishing fourth in Iowa, but the former house speaker telling his supporters he looks forward to a great debate in the Republican Party.”

Still in U.S. news -- after finishing sixth in the caucus last night, Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann is ending her presidential campaign. CNN explains.

“We will say for the next week, Mitt Romney must win New Hampshire. Well, the Michele Bachmann dynamic in this campaign was Michele Bachmann must win Iowa to prove she was a viable contender. Not even close, Suzanne. This is a simple case of simple math. She didn’t prove herself in the one place she most needed to prove herself.”

Also, in U.S. news -- President Barack Obama is set to announce a recess appointment to install the chief to a new federal bureau. With the move, Obama is sidestepping the Senate confirmation process -- and MSNBC says one group isn’t going to take it with open arms.

“A breaking news -- the, uh, Republicans aren’t going to be happy about it, President Obama making a recess appointment. He’s going to put Richard Cordray, the former attorney general of Ohio, as chief of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. … The Senate is on a holiday break. Politico is calling this a defiant display of executive power.”

In world news — after nearly two decades of courtroom battles, an Ecuador appeals court upholds the decision that American oil giant Chevron must pay $18 billion in damages for pollution.

That hefty sum makes it the most expensive environmental lawsuit in history — though Chevron is expected to continue its appeal. euronews has more.

“Chevron was originally found to be liable in February last year and ordered to pay 8.6 billion dollars. But the amount has been more than doubled since the company failed to make an apology which was a stipulation of the first ruling. The accusation is that a subsidiary of Chevron at the time, Texaco, dumped oil-drilling waste in unlined pits, polluting the forest and causing illness in indigenous people.”

In business news — Yahoo! has named PayPal President Scott Thompson as its new CEO. He will be the company’s fourth chief in less than five years. An analyst tells CNBC Thompson has quite a bit to prove.

“I think he’s been a very capable executive at PayPal, but that’s an incredibly different business than what Yahoo! has. He needs to come in and show people that he has a real vision, and that he can execute it.”

(Image source: Suncoast Primate Sanctuary)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

A Florida animal sanctuary announced the death of a celebrity chimpanzee last week -- but now some are asking, is the late chimp really who everyone thought he was? First, here’s Slate with the death announcement.

“Cheetah, a chimp famous for his part in the Tarzan movies from the 1930s, has gone to that big movie set and banana buffet in the sky. … Cheetah was living at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida. He reportedly loved finger painting and people’s laughter, and was known for his ability to stand up straight and walk like his human costars. … He suffered kidney failure and passed away on Christmas Eve.”

While the animal sanctuary insists their Cheetah is the real deal, the claim has quite a few chimp experts scratching their heads. The main cause of skepticism -- the 1930s were a really long time ago. Fox News does the math.

“It appeared in several movies, including ‘Tarzan the Ape Man’ and ‘Tarzan and His Mate’ -- both from the 1930s. If the sanctuary owner’s claim is true, Cheetah would have been more than 80 years old. Critics claims it’s highly unlikely that a chimp in captivity could live that long.”

The average lifespan for chimps in captivity is in the range of 35-40 years. One chimp in another Florida sanctuary may be as old as 70. But 80 is unheard of. According to the Oregonian, that’s just the first reason to think this may not be the real Cheetah.

“Second, some Hollywood accounts indicate a chimp named Mr. Jiggs played Cheetah in the early films, and Jiggs died in 1938. Third, in 2008 a similar claim was made about another chimp who played Tarzan's sidekick, a claim that was less than accurate, since that chimp was born in 1960.”

The sanctuary owner is sticking to her guns, claiming the chimp was given to her grandparents by Tarzan star Johnny Weissmuller’s estate. She told the New York Times:

“We have nothing to prove … It cracks me up how ignorant some people are, but I think that causes controversy, and isn’t that what it’s all about? I mean, really. I think people like controversy.”

But is it really ignorant to question the sanctuary’s chimp cred? Any records of Cheetah’s origin were reportedly destroyed in a fire over a decade ago. And The Miami New Times says a chimp coming from Weissmuller’s estate wouldn’t necessarily be the furry film star.

“Weissmuller did move to Florida in the '60s ... During this time he also had some involvement in developing a Titusville, Florida, tourist trap known as Tropical Wonderland or Tarzan's Jungleland. It eventually closed in 1973. Is it possible this Cheetah came from Weissmuller's tourist trap and not his actual movies?”

Whether the Florida chimp was the real Cheetah or not, fans of the Tarzan star are remembering his impact on their lives. Mia Farrow, whose mother Maureen O’Sullivan played Jane in the films, tweeted this little memory.

“My mom,Tarzan's Jane, referred to Cheetah-the-chimp as 'that bastard' - saying he bit her at every opportunity.”

The sanctuary set up a page where fans can post their own memories of Cheetah the chimp. You can find a link in our transcript section.

(Image Source: BBC)

BY LAISHI ZHOU

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

One Christmas staple may be a thing of the past. Frankincense. Central to the nativity story as one of the gifts of the Three Wise Men--the aromatic resin comes from trees that are now in danger of disappearing. Here’s the BBC.

“Ecologists from the Netherlands say the tree numbers could decline by 90 percent over the next 50 years. Because there are very few new trees replacing the old ones that are dying. …”
"Researcher: “The big problem is there is also no regeneration, so there are no new small plants that are coming into the system. Probably, because there’s too much fire. Recently, there are also too many animals.”

And while Frankincense might seem like a product of yore, the current demand for it is considerable, according to The Vancouver Sun...

“The Network for Natural Gums and Resins in Africa (NGARA) estimates global demand for frankincense and myrrh at about 2,500 tonnes per year. China and Europe are the largest markets for both products, while the Middle East, the United States and North Africa import significant amounts.”

With demand remaining high and supply falling low, prices of all of the Three Wise Men’s famed gifts are rising. The Independent reports:

“Solid frankincense resin can be sold at up to £37.33 per kilo, according to the International Centre for Research in Dry Areas. Myrrh is roughly twice as expensive, but prices are volatile – something that can also be said for the Wise Men's third gift. Four days before Christmas, an ounce of gold costs £1,029.20 on the international market – up by nearly 20 per cent this year.”

Finally, without the Wise Men around, Xinhua Net turned to an ecologist who offers a solution to save the trees that produce Frankincense.

“To ensure Boswellia trees’ future and fragrance production, [he] proposed that areas grown with the species should be left alone for up to a decade and tapping be stopped after five years’ production.”

(Image source: Environmental and Energy Study Institute)

BY MIKKEL NOEL LANZKY

Canada is leaving the Kyoto Climate Protocol—an international agreement that was designed to bind nations to lowering their emission of Green House Gasses. CTV gives us the story.

“Canada, the country furthest from meeting its Kyoto targets, becomes the first to have signed on - and then pull out. The Tories argue Kyoto does not include the world’s two largest emitters, the US and China, and therefore cannot work.”

At a press conference, Environment Minister Peter Kent made the case for leaving Kyoto. Here’s CBC News.

“The Kyoto Protocol does not represent the way forward for Canada. The Durban platform is a way forward that builds on our work at Copenhagen and at Cancun. The Kyoto Protocol, as you know, originally covered countries generating less than 30 percent of global emissions. Now it covers less than 13 percent, and that number is only shrinking.”

In a column titled “Kyoto withdrawal shames us all,” Canada’s Globe and Mail writer John Ibbitson laments the government’s move.

“Canada would never meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments. It would never come close. Rather than be formally found to be non-compliant, [Canada withdrew] from the accord. Canada gave its word to the world. Canada broke its word. The final confession was as shameful as it was inevitable. No one should feel anything other than ashamed.”

The Canadian opt-out comes on the heels of a UN climate summit in Durban, South Africa, where the first steps toward a new international treaty to slow global warming were taken. The move has since drawn criticism from several countries, such as France, India, and China. Xinhua News quotes a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, who says:

“Canada's withdrawal occurred as important progress has been made on the protocol's second commitment period at the United Nations climate change conference in Durban, which runs against the international efforts.”

Some observers point out that Canada’s action reveals the weakness of international agreements – the lack of enforceable rules. Adam Vaughan, environment editor with the Guardian, says it this way:

“Canada's withdrawal is also a timely reminder that … there is no guarantee countries won't walk away from their commitments later down the line.”

Transcript by Newsy.

(Image source: Sea Shepherd)

BY EVAN BUSH

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

Japanese whalers are readying themselves for a toe-to-toe legal battle on US soil with - in their words -- a ‘pirate’.

First a bit of background, the International Whaling Commission slapped a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1985 because whale populations had diminished so significantly due to over-hunting. But Japanase whalers, with the support of their government, have long skirted the rules for what they call research purposes.

Enter Seattle-based Paul Watson -- who flies a pirate flag on his ship the Sea Shepherd.

Watson’s an enviro-activist featured on Animal Planet’s Whale Wars who has taken sometimes violent means to prevent Japanese ships from whaling. Some say he’s a terrorist; others say he’s a hero.

Now Watson’s group faces a court injunction filed in Seattle. The Maritime-Executive has more.

“The Institute of Cetacean Research, along with masters of whaling vessels, have filed suit against the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and their leader, Paul Watson, in an attempt to stop the sometimes violent interference in Japan’s annual whale hunt.  This is the first time Japan has pursued legal action against anti-whaling campaigners.”

The Japanese whalers allege Watson is using ‘piracy’ because he rams vessels, launches acid and incendiary devices at ships and tries to make ships collide. Courthouse News has more.

“‘The whalers want an injunction barring the Sea Shepherd from attacking any vessel or crew member or interfering with navigation of the whaling ships ... Watson deems himself a pirate albeit a 'good pirate.'”

Last year, Australia’s ABC radio reports -- Watson’s actions limited the whalers so much they only brought in one-fifth of their usual catch. But Watson’s says he’s not worried. The Wall Street Journal has his comments.

“‘It’s a frivolous lawsuit that doesn’t have any merit. … they’re using litigation as a weapon,’ said Mr. Watson … ”

Some do think the move could backfire for the Japanese whalers. Australia has long-opposed Japan’s approach to whaling -- and has even brought legal action against the country in the International Court of Justice. Here’s what an Australian senator had to say about the lawsuit.

"...'the US - and Australia should use this opportunity to bring forward a case which may have otherwise taken years to have Japan found guilty of its breach of international law by killing the whales in the first place'..."

(Image Source: BBC)  

BY AMY WILLMOTT

ANCHOR ALLEX CONLEY

The BBC has been accused of telling a very big (and fluffy) white lie.

Sir David Attenborough’s acclaimed natural series, Frozen Planet, has caused an icy controversy after it became clear that footage of newborn polar bear cubs was actually shot in captivity - not in the arctic.  ABC News reports;

“This video shows a mother bear feeding her cub in what looks like their natural Arctic habitat but in reality it was shot a zoo in Germany. The show, Frozen Planet, is accused of being unethical, but producers say it was all explained on the show and online, and was not misleading at all.”

Attenborough appeared on ITV1’s This Morning and defended the use of zoo footage. The veteran broadcaster argued that the choice to use captivity footage was both for the safety of the animal and enjoyment of the audience.

“So, the question is during the middle of this scene when you’re trying to paint what it’s like in the middle of winter in the pole, and you say ‘Oh by the way this was in a zoo,’ you completely ruin the atmosphere and destroy the pleasure of the viewers.”

And the show’s executive producer went head-to-head with a host on Radio5.

“These first moments are very very special. They’re a very important part of the story that you want to tell and that’s why we decided to do it in captivity”

“But you gave the impression that these cubs were in the arctic.”

“I don’t think we did at all. I think we were extremely careful. Well, what we said was that polar bear cubs in the Arctic are born at this time of year and this is what happens.”

But a writer for The Global Warming Policy argues that ‘spoiling the mood’ of the documentary is not enough of a justification for deceiving audiences -- and that this is another sour note for documentary-style TV.

“The pictures would have been NO LESS remarkable if Sir David had simply mentioned that they were effectively library footage, shot in what we now know was a German animal park … viewers will be disappointed to find out that Sir David is yet another TV presenter they cannot totally trust.”

But a blogger for the New Statesman defends the show’s decision, saying there are bigger things to worry about -- literally.

“Natural history programmes have reconstructed things for years ... So the polar bears were filmed in a captive environment, rather than wild animals being disturbed out in the snow? Maybe the film crew didn't want to be decapitated by a giant paw being swung at them from an angry ursine parent … ”

(Image source: BBC)

(Image source : alexhofford.com)

BY NOE GANDILLOT

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

Air pollution has become a major source of worry in Beijing in recent days. The BBC's Damian Grammaticas has the latest from China’s capital:  

“This is what everybody in Beijing is talking about today : this grey pall of smoggy stuff that is just hanging over the city, right over everything. We are in the middle of the central business district here. If you take a look down this way, along the road, that is the heart of Beijing’s business district and look, it just fades into the gray in the distance because of pollution.”

As a result, hundreds of flights were stranded at the Beijing Capital International Airport -- and the smog pushed many residents to buy respirator masks. Radio Free Asia reports pollution is a great concern in China’s capital:

“Beijing residents are accustomed to skies polluted by coal plants and by the nearly five million vehicles plowing the city’s streets. International organizations, including the United Nations, list the Chinese capital as one of the most polluted cities in the world.”

However, Monday's air pollution was only rated as "moderate" by Chinese authorities. And a meteorological engineer told China’s Global Times:

“According to our records, smog occurred on average six times a year in the past three decades. The current smog is the seventh this year, so we cannot say it is not normal."

But official accounts were challenged by data released by the US embassy, which uses a different methodology to calculate pollution levels.The Embassy monitors Beijing’s air quality via a twitter feed named @BeijingAir. The US Ambassador in China talked to CNN’s correspondant in Hong Kong:

GARY LOCKE: “It measures the very fine particles particulates which are health concerns, I think that are less than 2.5 microns. I think the acceptable range in the United States is 35, here we are at more than 400, more than 10 times the acceptable level.”

On Monday, the US Embassy said the pollution level in Beijing was “hazardous”. CNN says the discrepancy has “drawn criticism in online posts in China, which point to the different U.S. numbers and criticize the Chinese approach.” (Images : NTDTV) And France’s Le Monde reports...

“Millions of Internet users have expressed exasperation and anxiety about their health. Pollution was the most talked about topic on the Internet on Tuesday, with 4.4 million messages sent on Weibo, China’s main microblogging site.” 

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR STEVEN SPARKMAN

Photos snapped by a nature lover went viral this weekend. No, it’s not a picture of a beach or a sunset. It’s something a little more... creepy.

WTHR explains.

“Here is the world’s largest insect. There you go. Now, if you see there, that insect is sitting in the palm of a man’s hand, filling his hand, and he’s chewing on a carrot there. This is called a giant weta. He has a wingspan of close to seven inches, and this one here was caught on camera by a world-renowned entomologist, Mark Moffet...”

Moffett said he spent several nights searching New Zealand’s Little Barrier Island before he found the huge bug. He fed it a carrot so it would hold still for picture taking. That’s quite a bug lover.

Most people who saw the photos probably had the same reaction as Neil Patrick Harris on ABC’s LIVE! With Kelly.

Kelly Ripa: “That is...”
Neil Patrick Harris: “Guh! Oh my god!”
Ripa: “It’s called a giant weta. W-E-T-A. Weta”
Harris: “Yeah, if I saw it, I’d be like ‘Weta hell?’”
Ripa: “That’s how it got it’s name. ‘Weta hell is that?’”

Headlines have been calling Moffett’s weta the world’s biggest insect, at 71 grams and 7 inches long. But is the weta really king? MSNBC’s Alan Boyle points out, it depends what you mean by “biggest.”

“By some accounts, goliath beetles can reach a weight of 100 grams during their larval stage and achieve a wingspan of nearly 10 inches. The White Witch moth, meanwhile, has a wingspan of up to 12 inches, which is wider than the wings of a sparrow. But if you confine yourself strictly to adult insects, and define ‘big’ in terms of weight, Moffett appears to have a good case.”

But the New Zealand Herald went to New Zealand’s famous bug man, Ruud Kleinpaste, who takes issue with Moffett’s claim.

“‘There's nothing unusual to find these weta,’ Kleinpaste said, though he thought the publicity for the species could be a good thing. ‘I think it's wonderful as long as weta get the attention and not that idiot American.’ … He said wetapunga were nice, non-aggressive creatures, but ‘if you really piss them off they will cut you in half.’”

Kleinpaste went on to say the heaviest recorded weta weighed 72 grams -- slightly heavier than Moffett’s monster.

IMAGE: MTV

BY LAUREN ZIMA

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

In the vein of The Real Housewives, reality star Vinny Guadagnino of MTV’s smash hit Jersey Shore is releasing a rap song. But, he shouldn’t expect the tune to be as popular.

Millions watch The Jersey Shore -- so audiences are clearly willing to put up with Vinny, Pauly D and The Situation referring to women as “grenades” and tirelessly trolling for one night stands.

But Vinny’s rap lyrics seem to have gone a step too far -- he’s rapping about rape. Vinny sings about raping a stripper in his new song, “Rack City Mix.” Here’s the track, via Perez Hilton:

“Yeah I'm takin' it ... I'm a get you naked b***h ...
We can f*** and make it fit... boomin’ s**t and slatin' it.
Actin' like I'm raping it ...
f*** her til she fakin' it."

In case you missed it, those lyrics were: “Actin' like I'm raping it."

TMZ is disgusted by the lyrics.

“Vinny … believes the way to a stripper's heart is through pretend rape … You stay classy, Vin.”

AndPop.com is surprised the violent song comes from Vinny.

“Most of us looked as Vinny as ‘the normal one’ of the Jersey Shore group. The Situation was a desperate womanizer, Snookie’s a little bit braindead … Vinny was somewhat tolerable – until now.”

So how is the formerly tolerable Vinny responding? After getting major backlash on Twitter, he Tweeted:

““Whoa! Some people really know how to take things out of context ! … Damn it feels good to be a gangster.... lol”

The not-regretful Vinny said he recorded the song for fun, but Business Insider says the star better be careful. His employer, the socially conscious MTV, might not be laughing.

“This is from the kid who, prior to hitting it big on the MTV show, was planning on becoming a lawyer. We hope he's got a good one now, because we can't imagine MTV will take this in stride.”

So far MTV has not responded to the controversy, though it hasn’t promoted the tune either.

(Image source: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR ANTHONY MARTINEZ

Delegates from nearly 200 nations will meet in Durban, South Africa, this week to discuss international action on climate change. Their goal: to reach a new legal agreement on greenhouse gas emissions.

Here’s Kenya’s NTV.

“Countries around the world are still deadlocked on how to stop or slow down global warming. An international treaty signed in 1997 known as the Kyoto Protocol, meant to regulate how much of the problematic gasses countries can emit, expires next year. And there is a rush to finalize a new deal.”

The Kyoto Protocol set different targets for developing and developed nations. Because of that, the U.S. never ratified the protocol. Now, The New York Times reports other nations are raising the same concerns.

“The protocol is up for renewal next year with some major countries, including Canada, Japan and Russia, saying they will not agree to an extension unless it is fundamentally changed to remove the unbalanced requirements ... That is similar to the U.S. position, which is that any successor treaty must apply equally to all major economies, including fast-growing developing countries like China and India.”

The other big issue at Durban will be the establishment of a $100 billion fund to help poor countries deal with the damage caused by climate change. But details of how the fund will be handled are still up in the air..

The BBC explains.

“Developing countries say the public coffers of industrialised nations should be the main source, whereas western governments say the bulk must come from private sector sources. That is unlikely to be resolved until the end of next year. But finalising the fund's rules in Durban would be a concrete step forward.”

The U.N. body’s targets include cutting greenhouse emissions in half by 2050 and limiting global warming to less than two degrees. But with all the funding and legal debates expected at Durban, the way forward looks uncertain.

But there’s some hope as individual governments take it upon themselves to cut emissions outside of any treaty. A delegate from Australia, where the government just passed a carbon tax, told VOA News...

“I think it’s hard to get nearly 200 countries to agree. And what we’re finding is that a lot of countries are doing more domestically than perhaps they’re prepared to agree to internationally.”

The summit begins Monday and is scheduled for two weeks. Activists are hoping to organize an Occupy protest for the duration of the summit.

(Image source: University of East Anglia)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

It’s being called Climategate 2.0. Two years after hacked emails from climate scientists caused a stir, 5,000 new emails have been released. The Washington Post summarizes what’s new since the 2009 release.

“Those e-mails painted the scientific climate establishment as combative and clubby … This second batch deals less with climate science than with how some prominent scientists framed the issue and recruited colleagues to serve on panels such as the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.”

The 2009 emails led to accusations that climate scientists were manipulating their data and going after political and scientific opponents. Several inquiries cleared the scientists of any wrongdoing, but the new emails look poised to give further fuel to the skeptic crowd.

Al Jazeera has a couple of the emails:

“There’s one that says, ‘I also think the science is being manipulated to put a political spin on it.’ One says, ‘The important thing is to make sure they’re losing the PR battle.’ And another, ‘The political challenge is then to turn this from an argument about the cost of cutting emissions’ which the author describes as ‘bad politics -- to one about the value of a stable climate’ which the author describes as ‘much better politics.’”

While police still haven’t tracked down the hackers, this time they apparently left a message, saying:

“Poverty is a death sentence. Nations must invest $37 trillion in energy technologies by 2030 to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at sustainable levels.”

A writer for the BBC takes a stab at the message’s meaning.

“One hesitates to dive into anyone else's mind on the basis of a few words ... but as far as I can see, the only logical explanation is that the writer thinks curbing grenhouse gas emissions will cost so much that the developing world will be left poverty-stricken as a result.”

And a writer for Wired UK speculates about the release’s timing.

“It appears to be an attempt to replicate the impact of 2009's release, which came just before the Copenhagen Climate Summit. 2011's summit is due to start on 28 November in Durban, South Africa.”

The scientists say the emails are cherry-picked and shown out of context. But an opinion writer for the Wall Street Journal says, even though there’s no “smoking gun” that shows the scientists manipulated their data, it still looks bad.

“If the case for man-made global warming is really as strong as the so-called ‘consensus’ claims it is, what need have all those climate scientists to behave so cagily? Why are they shown in emails deliberately conspiring to shut out of the debate scientists with dissenting points of view?”

If you want to look through the emails, climate skeptic Anthony Watts has the original release on his blog Watts Up With That? We’ve got a link in our transcript section.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY EVAN BUSH

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

The fossilized remains of 80 whales -- discovered in the middle of the Chilean desert.

Now, the clock is ticking to save them.

Here’s Saint Louis’ KTVI.

“The bones have been preserved in sedimentary rock for 7 million years. The area they were found is about to be paved in during a construction project but scientists persuaded the government to preserve the fossils first. The Chilean government will make a museum to hold the fossils.”

Science Magazine reports the construction company which found the whales has granted a temporary reprieve on its road project to give scientists time to remove them and catalog the site.

“Facing a deadline sometime next month, the team has been working as quickly as possible to remove the fossils. ‘We’re pushing the limits for what we can do with [whole] fossils,’ [says paleobiologist Nick Pyenson, the curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.] ‘It’s really logistically challenging.’”

And scientists are using sophisticated technology to not only collect the fossils, but to also scan and model the graveyard.  A team from the Smithsonian’s 3D Digitization program went to Chile to create a record of the site where the whales were found.

Which could be important later because, as The International Business Times reports, this might be the biggest “whale graveyard” ever found -- and it’s not clear why so many are in the middle of the desert.

“According to experts, the recently discovered Chilean fossils outnumber previous finds of prehistoric whales elsewhere in Peru and Egypt. Researchers think there are probably hundreds of whale fossils in the area, waiting to be uncovered.”

So what’s to become of the fossils once they’re all removed from the highway construction zone? A writer for AOL has some insight on the Smithsonian’s hopes...

“Pyenson has said he hopes a museum will be build to show off the intact skeletons where they lie, similar to the way fossils are displayed at the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado.”

(Image Source :adelto)

BY CAMILLE MAESTRACCI

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Its the largest yellow diamond ever sold - and now might become one lucky girl’s best friend. 

The precious gem, called the Sun-Drop Diamond, was sold to an anonymous buyer for almost 11 million dollars at Sotheby's annual jewelry auction in Geneva.

BBC reports the gem is 110-carats - and “about 100 times heavier than most diamonds you see in rings and necklaces."

The fancy jewel was sold by Cora International, which discovered the diamond in South Africa last year. Then it travelled to Hong Kong and at London's Natural History Museum earlier this year where American model Jerry Hall showed it off.

“I’ve never seen such a big one and certainly never modeled such a big one. It’s amazing. there are so many colors and yellow and the light... When the light hits and these different colors come out it’s really wonderful. It must be very very valuable”

Indeed - it was the eighth most expensive diamond ever sold at auction. This -- after Sotheby's sold a fancy intense pink diamond last year for a record-breaking $46 million. A journalist for the BBC says it’s proof that the global economic crisis hasn’t undermined the luxury jewels market.

“I think Sotheby’s feels that this diamond has been sold in the range they had predicted which was between eleven million and fifteen million dollars and at the end they got almost $12.4 million. So I think they are happy with that partly because overall, despite what we’re seeing with the global economic downturn, the jewelry sales in Geneva this season have been very very brisk”

(Image Source: Toronto Star)

BY ANLI XIAO

Supporters’ fight for gay marriage has even extended to the zoo. According to ABC News …

“A love story involving two male loves birds is about to end at the Toronto Zoo. Buddy and Pedro are about to be separated. They met back in May and it was a love at first sight and they are never apart and they even nest together at night. But zoo keepers are about to break up this pair so that they can breed with females as the species is on the brink of distinction.”

The zookeepers say it’s all for the penguins’ good. The African penguin population has dropped significantly over millions of centuries. The National Post quotes Tom Mason, curator of birds and invertebrates at the Toronto Zoo who explains Buddy and Pedro have the top-notch genes that might help recover their population.

“… the Toronto Zoo cannot afford to let a season go by without passing on the pair’s genes. ‘If [Pedro and Buddy] weren’t genetically important, then we’d let them do their thing.’”

And, it might not be as hard as we humans think.

“The two girls have been following them; we just have to get the boys interested in looking at them.”

But ABC says it’s still hard for them to mate. Penguins are relatively picky to begin with. Bill Rapley, the  zoo’s executive director of conservation and wildlife was quoted saying…

“… what can be kind of tricky is getting them to accept the mate you want them to have … You can imagine if you’re going to invest so much time and energy in a chick … you would be choosy [about your mate] in that situation.”

But a writer for Gawker is protesting the separation - looking at it from the gay perspective, headlining please -- “Don’t break up the gay penguins” …

“Gay people—and gay penguins—are sick of being exploited for our genes … the reason we're so attractive, intelligent, stylish, and gay is that we're so incredibly perfect that all this isn't meant to be passed on... They probably wouldn't have sex with a woman if they were the last penguins on earth anyway.”

The zoo says this separation will not last forever. After the breeding season, if Buddy and Pedro still love each other, they might still have a happy ending.

(Image source: KETV)
 

BY MALLORY PERRYMAN
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

An oil pipeline that could run from Canada to Texas- has the U.S. split.

MSNBC has the details on the Keystone XL pipeline that’s got environmentalists marching in D.C.

“Protesters surrounded the president’s home chanting ‘Yes we can stop the pipeline’. Opponents fear America would be ripe for another oil disaster if the president does not kill the construction plans.”

One of their biggest concerns-- the oil in the pipeline would come from Canadian tar sands. The Atlantic explains...

“Because of the intense amount of energy required to refine oil from tar sands, it's considered a particularly dirty source of fuel. According to some estimates, it produces 15% more greenhouse gases than your average barrel of oil once production is taken into account.”

But on the other side of the coin-- jobs. The company behind the pipeline says it will create thousands of them-- and former GOP presidential candidate Gary Bauer tells CNN--that should be the focus.

Gary Bauer (2008 GOP presidential contender): “I look at that pipeline, for example, and I see the opportunity for 30,000 Americans who don’t have jobs and can’t provide for their families to have a job if that pipeline is built. I see that as a moral issue....”

The final yay or nay is up to the federal government-- but one state in particular is heavily invested in that decision. Local news outlets in Nebraska have been covering this story for months now-- because--

--as KETV explains-- the pipeline runs over the region’s source of drinking water.

Reporter: “As it is, the pipeline would go straight through the sand hills, over the Ogallala Aquifer.”

Pipeline opponent: “I’m just very concerned that sand hills is a bad route for it.”

Reporter: “They’re concerned it could leak like the first Keystone pipeline did about a dozen times in the last year.”

President Obama has indicated he’ll make the final call on whether to approve the pipeline by the end of the year. As KEYE notes-- either way-- he’s making someone mad.

“Politically it's a tough spot for the president -- pitting major labor unions against environmentalists -- two groups that will be an important part of his reelection bid. Although the president is under pressure to create jobs... environmentalists say the Keystone pipeline is not the way to do it.”

According to The Atlantic, the Keystone XL would produce about 560,000 barrels of oil a day. The world consumes about 90 million barrels of oil every day.

(Image Source: USGS)

BY JJ BAILEY

In the wake of weekend quakes in Oklahoma, residents pick up their broken dishes and clear their heads. While aftershocks are projected to continue for some time, the real shake up may be over whether fracking- the hydraulic fracturing of shale to release gas and oil- is at fault.

Video: KOLD

The issue has everyone from citizens to seismologists taking sides, and most outlets are picking their team. From the pro-fracking camp, Gather writes..

“Just to illustrate the point, between 1977 and 2008, there were only 28 earthquakes in Oklahoma: less than 1 per year. Between 2009 and 2010, the state experienced 134 earthquakes: an average of95 quakes per year.That's a huge difference. And it simply can not be attributed to a fault line or natural causes.”

But the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says hang on-- you can’t prove that.

“Scientists say they have no explanation for the quakes. They happened along an ancient fault, although it's not clear yet whether shifting along the fault is what caused them.”

So it looks like we have a bit of a stand off - and each side brought in some ammo. For the friends of fracking, a study published in August of 2011 by the Oklahoma Geological Survey gives fracking a free pass.

“The number of historical earthquakes in the area and uncertainties in hypocenter locations make it impossible to determine with a high degree of certainty whether or not hydraulic fracturing induced these earthquakes.”

‘Oh yeah?’ say the fracking foes, ‘we have one of those too.’ UK energy Company Cuadrilla commissioned a study after seismic activity occurred near a fracking site. Guess what that study found?

In a public release on November 2, the company said...

“It is highly probable that the hydraulic fracturing of Cuadrilla’s Preese Hall-1 well did trigger a number of minor seismic events.”

Stalemate. Looks like the courts will have to settle this one. A writer for Technorati says, that’s what some of the energy companies should be afraid of.

“These ex-Texas land-sharks are likely circling the fracking fields right now and are sizing up their prey. Like wounded fish, these fracking oil and gas corporations will be overtaken by the feeding frenzy that awaits them.”

Image: NOAA Fisheries

BY JESSICA GOODWIN

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

A female surfer narrowly avoided becoming the main course for a giant humpback whale off the coast of Santa Cruz. And the incredible moment was all caught on camera-

Naturally reactions to the video have varied. One blogger for Cafe Mom keeps it light, saying...

“Sounds a little fishy, a little unbelievable, but the entire thing was caught on video, and believe me, it's a sight to behold...Slap my ass and call me Ishmael because this is one whale of a tale.”

But outdoors blogger Pete Thomas says being so close to these majestic creatures can be dangerous, and it’s not something to take lightly.

“This represents perhaps the most amazing recent footage of lunge-feeding humpback whales in close proximity to people. It's also another example of how reckless some people behave among massive and powerful wild animals.”

The surprise encounter can be credited to the whales searching for food unusually close to the shore line. It’s not the first occurrence in recent weeks and naturally many are keen to get up close with the humpbacks.

But CBS has a word of warning to whale enthusiasts -- you may be charged with ‘whale harassment.’  

“What I think is most interesting about this story though, is that the coast guard has now come out and said by the way you have to stay at least 100 yards away from the humpback whales, otherwise its whale harassment, literally, whale harassment. And you’ll be fine $2500.”

The idea of “whale harassment” has raised some eyebrows. A Human Events blogger is baffled that the largest creatures on Earth are being bullied by humans armed with cameras. He goes on to say-

“Yes, it's true that with the flip of a tail, one of these whales could seriously injure someone, but that's yet to occur. And if it did happen, it seems to me that the injured spectator should receive a Darwin Award, not pay a multi-thousand-dollar fine... As a taxpayer, I'd rather see the Coast Guard chasing drug traffickers, as opposed to whale watchers.”

But the superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary tells the San Francisco Chronicle,  there is a good reason for the hefty fine. According to the Coast Guard, any human interaction with feeding whales can disrupt their feeding patterns.

"The sheer number of folks crowding around the whales is not only an issue for the whales themselves, but also public safety...”

Even BarbRoettger,who filmed filmed the footage of the surfers, admits to ABC News that she was a little too close for comfort.

“We were crazy to be out there [FLASH] From now on I’m going to watch whales from up on bluffs like this.”
 

(Image Source: The New York Times)

BY STEFANIE REDDING

Most people dream of a white Christmas not a white Halloween-- the snowstorms in the North East have taken residents by surprise and done some serious damage.
Here’s CNN…

“Snow is still falling and blowing around some parts of the northeast at this hour. The rare autumn snowstorm is blamed for at least five deaths. From Maine to Maryland, more than 4 million people lost power, most of the outages were caused by downed power lines hit by snow laden tree limbs.”

The surprise storm led Governors to declare states of emergency in parts of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey.

The Commissioner of New York City’s parks department says the damage caused by the trees is due to most trees still having leaves. Those leaves collect snow, and the extra weight causes limbs to break off. This “abnormal” situation is the one of the factors making the storm harder to tackle.

After drawing criticism for poor response to last year’s Christmas blizzard, the New York City Department of Sanitation is on a mission to redeem itself.
The city’s deputy mayor told The New York Times,

“...more than 400 salt spreaders were ready to work through Saturday night, 1,400 plows were prepared, and 2,200 employees were set to work midnight to 8 a.m., a total he called a “full complement.”

Although the amount of snow is unusual for this time of year -- it isn’t the first time snow fell in October. A writer for Huffington Post reports …

“The past 143 years, New York's only seen snow in October 18 times, only 3 of which were over an inch of accumulation. And the last timeflurries fell before Halloween in Gotham was in 1952.”

New York has already seen 12-20 inches according to The Wall Street Journal.
Not everyone was as prepared as New York and there have been some dire consequences. A writer for The Slatest reports...

“Three people were reportedly killed due to the weather: an 84-year-old man in Pennsylvania died when a tree fell on his home, a 20-year-old Massachusetts man died of electrocution from a downed power line, and another person in Connecticut died in a car accident.”

Since that report there has been 2 more deaths. Power crews are working to get power lines back up, but it may take up to a week for some to get power back.

Transcript by Newsy. 

(Image Source: NOAA)

BY EVAN BUSH

A 90’s throwback -- On the 20th anniversary of the famed “Perfect Storm” -- the Northeast got a taste of winter -- harkening memories of that 1991 Nor’easter.

CNN shows just how hard it’s coming down.

“This is just stuff that you can’t even shovel at this point in time. It’s turning into slop. Look at that -- that’s like a pan cake. That’s not eve going to come apart. It doesn’t even break when it hits the ground … At five o’clock this is going to be one solid sheet of ice.”

And MSNBC notes -- it’s not even Halloween yet -- when did October become winter?

“...this looks like a forecast map you’d see in December or January”

ABC News explains who’s getting an early winter and how this storm had been ‘perfected’ across the country.

“Is this real? Well, look what happened in Texas the other day. This is the storm that is coming this way. It hit Texas, and before then it was in Denver -- surprised them... The storm is going to barrel through here through Pennsylvania and then into the North East -- it is a true N’oreaster.”

So how record-breaking is it? CNN says this kind of snow in October is at the very least uncommon.

“It’s been 59 years since NYC had a measurable snow. Now measurable snow doesn’t mean flakes and flurries -- at least a 10th of an inch. So, since records have been kept by the national weather service in New York -- it’s only been 3 Octobers -- 3 times since the 1800s. So certainly quite rare, but not unprecedented, since we have seen it.”

Forecasters expect snowfall to continue into the night and some areas could see 10-13 inches. As expected, there’ll be sheets of ice and poor road conditions.
 

Image: Los Angeles Times


BY JESSICA GOODWIN

Five killer whales are suing SeaWorld- that is, with a little help from their friends at PETA. PETA believes the Orcas- who perform at various SeaWorld parks, are being held as slaves in violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The case is certainly making waves-- It’s the first time the 13th Amendment has been argued on behalf non-humans. The filing seeks to have the whales released to their natural habitats or seaside sanctuaries.
PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk lays out her argument for why SeaWorld’s Killer Whales should be classified as slaves, saying...

"All five of these orcas were violently seized from the ocean and taken from their families as babies. They are denied freedom and everything else that is natural and important to them while kept in small concrete tanks and reduced to performing stupid tricks, the 13th Amendment prohibits slavery, and these orcas are, by definition, slaves."

PETA members are not the only ones who believe their case is ethically sound.  
The New American reports a Harvard Law professor considers the lawsuit to be a promising catalyst for a national discussion on animal rights; he writes-

“People may well look back at this lawsuit and see in it a perceptive glimpse into a future of greater compassion for species other than our own."

The case has sparked a flood of controversy. According to the Telegraph, SeaWorld San Diego shot back with its own statement- declaring PETA’s efforts to-

"..Extend the Thirteenth Amendment's solemn protections beyond human beings is baseless and in many ways offensive."

A former SeaWorld employee is also baffled by PETA’s case. He says SeaWorld takes terrific care of all their animals. Speaking to CNN, he says it’s a slippery slope.

“What’s next? If animals have the same rights as people- if a killer whale kills a seal in the wild are we going to bring them up on murder charges?”

But beyond the nature of the suit, The San Diego Union-Tribune wonders how this makes things better for the whales.

“Most people will think PETA’s filing a federal lawsuit saying the orcas are tantamount to slaves is silly. Will these efforts help in such areas as improving conditions at crowded factory farms?

But The Colbert Report seems to think that the orcas are having a whale of a time- jokingly commenting, “How many slaves get to spend all day at a waterpark?” He goes on to take a sarcastic swipe at SeaWorld.

“Whales aren’t people. No court will say otherwise- however corporations like SeaWorld are people. Supreme Court says so, and as people- we have to treat corporations with care and respect and not cage them with the ethical treatment of animals. We must let SeaWorld live they way God intended a marine amusement park complex to live in its natural state.”
 

(Image Source: Nest)

BY YUTAKA HAYASHI

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

Former Apple executive and iPod creator Tony Fadell revealed an unusual product for a Silicon Valley company: a thermostat.

Fadell demonstrates his invention to TechCrunch:

“It's a very simple wheel. We actually call it a "ring" and the reason why we made it this way is because 99.9% of the time, what do you do? You just turn the temperature up or down. So, what's the easiest way to do that -- it's through a dial. And we have one other input, which is -- you can press a button. So, anywhere on a screen press the button and you can get into the menuing system.”

So yeah - it works like an iPod - that’s cool.  But what else can it do? Nest Labs -- the company behind the thermostat reveals some of its innovative features...

“Nest will remember your temperature adjustments and use an array of sensors, sophisticated algorithms, and the processing power of a computer to help it learn. We call it Nest Sense. After a few days you'll be adjusting Nest less. Within a week it will put all its learned into a schedule for your home. Nest will begin noticing when you are gone and will turn on Auto Away to avoid heating or cooling an empty house.”

If you don’t want to get up - you can use your iPhone An Android App is also in development.  But an analyst tells the LA Times -- this data could raise some problems...

“Collecting homeowners' energy consumption data could raise privacy concerns. Fadell said Nest would not share homeowners' data with third parties and would use it only to help homeowners save energy.”

So how did the godfather of the iPod become interested in temperature monitoring?  Fadell says he noticed the thermostat market was lagging and decided to do something about it.  He tells Wired...

“They were ugly.  They were confusing.  They were incredibly expensive.  They didn’t have half the features you would expect for a modern thing.”

Fadell says Nest will save 30 percent of your energy bill, but TechNewsWorld expects more if Nest were to solve our energy problems.

"What makes it important is that it's a start to making energy concerns hip, accessible, and technically cool to solve. Imagine a smart thermostat combined with other technologies, such as automatic appliances, home solar and better construction. The real power lies in combining solutions."

The device is currently available for pre-order at Best Buy and Nest.com for $249 and will go on sale in mid-November.

(Image Source: Pisces Fleet Sportfishing Blog)

BY JENNIFER LONG

What was once fishy fiction might now be fact. Researchers say the albino Cyclops shark is the real deal-- and the media is sinking its teeth into this story. KXTV explains...

“Female Anchor: Sharks-They’re scary enough right? But imagine a shark with just one eye.
Male Anchor: They call it a Cyclops shark
Female Anchor: Oh look at that! That’s not real.
Male Anchor: No it hasn’t been photo shopped. It is scary and very rare... And yes it is real. It almost looks smiley there.
Female Anchor: It reminds me of Finding Nemo.”

Pisces Fleet Sportfishing discovered the mutant fetus earlier this summer when they cut open the belly of a pregnant dusky shark from the Gulf of California.

The company posted this picture on its website- and it was met with some hearty skepticism. A manager for the company tells the New York Daily News...

"People did not believe us. You wouldn't believe the comments we got like, 'A Cabbage Patch Doll is missing an eye."

But now - about four months later - researchers say the Cyclops shark is legit. The Daily News reports one shark expert is...

“...on the verge of releasing a scientific paper claiming the find ... is a rare case of ‘Cyclopia.’"

Cyclopia is a real anomaly in which only one eye develops. And we’ve seen it before-- in humans and animals.

National Geographic reports...

“Cyclops sharks have been documented by scientists a few times before, also as embryos [and]... The fact that none have been caught outside the womb suggests cyclops sharks don't survive long in the wild.”
     
But many are still skeptical. Could this be a Photoshop prank?  

A blogger for The Stir shares her disbelief saying...

“We've got a right to be nervous about accepting this photographic ‘evidence’ since recently a lot of us, including major news networks, were duped into thinking that a shark was swimming in the flooded streets of Puerto Rico after hurricane Irene blew through.”

And a writer for the Herald Sun jokes...

“The first question that comes to mind: Are fishermen that good at Photoshop?
The second: Why isn't it shooting lasers from its eye?”

Despite all the doubt multiple calls including one from "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" have been made to buy, rent or borrow the carcass. But sorry, the fishermen say it’s not for sale.
 

Transcript by Newsy.

(Image Source: KING)

BY HOJONG KIM / ADAM FALK

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

You say potato, and the US Department of Agriculture says less potato. Fox News has more on this starchy subject.

“Spuds on the verge of suspension, if U.S Department of Agriculture gets their way, potatoes at your kids’ school could be a thing of the past. It’s in the name of health, but it could end up costing 6.8 over the next years.”

And despite the partisan atmosphere in Washington, lawmakers form both parties say they can agree on spuds. A bipartisan group is proposing an amendment to fight the USDA’s proposed nutrition rules, which limit the consumption of “starchy vegetables” in schools.

Sen. Mark Udall of potato-producing Colorado tells the LA Times...

“We both believe potatoes have gotten a bad rap. … The truth is, when prepared properly, the potato can provide critical nutrients to students that will help them lead healthy lives and be ready to learn in the classrooms.”

A spokesman for the National Potato Council tells USA Today, this is just another in a list of challenges for spuds in recent years. Mark Szymanski, or Mr. Potato, says...

“The Atkins craze, that definitely has had a lasting impact. Now, it just seems like the potato is the next silver bullet Americans are looking for.”

But USDA undersecretary for nutrition programsKevin Concannon responds in the article, this issue getting a little over-cooked by the potato industry.

“Nothing against the potato, he says, but it often crowds out more nutrient-rich dark green vegetables.”

The new guidelines of the USDA will opt for more dark geen and oragne veggies and try to reduce the use of potatoes, including white potatoes, in school lunches to a total of one cup per week.

(Image Source: Julius Schorzman / Wikipedia Commons)

BY ERIK SHUTE
 

Could we live to see the end coffee? Its addictive aroma could fade if the future supply of coffee remains in danger. Good Morning America explains.

 
WOMAN: “I’m double fisting my coffee right now.”
REPORTER: “But the director of the sustainability from Starbucks warned members of Congress this is no joke... Heavy rain, long droughts and insect infestations linked to climate change threaten the future of your morning joe.”
 

So how much time to you have? The Starbucks director Jim Hanna told The Guardian -- perhaps only a few decades.

“Even well-established farms were seeing a drop in crop yield, and that could well discourage growers from cultivating coffee in the future, further constricting supply... we are hearing more and more stories of impacts.” 

Specfically, Starbucks is worried about the Arabica coffee bean. The Union of Concerned Scientists shares its worries.

“Because coffee varieties have adapted to specific climate zones, a temperature rise of even half a degree can make a big difference. The dwindling supply of coffee is but one example... and should be a wake-up call for us all.”
 

A writer for Death and Taxes says he can’t imagine a world without the coffee shop chain -- or its impact.

“[Starbucks is] famous for providing healthcare to all employees -- even part-timers -- and other socially progressive policies. On November 1st the company will start its Jobs for USA program which will allow customers to donate $5 when buying a coffee, all of which will go towards job creation. [and] companies like Starbucks, will start demanding policy change on environmental issues too before it’s too late to save coffee.”
 

The Seattle Post Intelligencer writes Starbucks has been up on Capital Hill to convince Congress and the president to act on climate change, but given little or no attention. It suggests we should get used to tea. 

(Image Source: MSNBC)

BY STEVEN HSIEH

Texas Governor Rick Perry unveiled an energy plan at a Pennsylvania steel plant Friday – a plan he says will create 1.2 million jobs.

The four-part plan calls for (A) new drilling in Alaska, the Gulf and other federal lands, (B) weakened environmental regulations, (C) a –quote “dismantling” of the EPA and (D) elimination of all subsidies for the energy industry. (Video Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Perry’s GOP rivals took to the media right away – crying copycat.

Bachmann: “I want to thank Governor Perry for endorsing my energy plan that he’s coming out with right now.”
Hammond: “Imitation is the finest form of flattery … I mean, that’s essentially taken directly out of what Newt was saying in January in Iowa.” (MSNBC)

And CNN’s Erin Burnett made some, well – more distant comparisons.

Carter: “Our dependence on foreign oil will be stopped dead in its tracks.”
Reagan: “Fully deregulate natural gas to bring on new supplies and bring us closer to energy independence.” (CNN)

The question of originality aside – some in the media jumped to criticize the plan itself.

The New York Times didn’t exactly hide its view of the Perry Promise.  A reporter noted in a story lead that the plan…

“...resembles a wishlist for the oil and gas industry.”

And a writer for The Christian Science Monitor says – it could take ages for jobs to materialize, despite Perry’s plan to get things running in 100 days.

“…despite the power of executive action, the nation’s environmental groups have decades of experience fighting stuff like this in the courts. They might lose, but they can buy lots of time in the trying.”

But former RNC Chairman Michael Steele says – as opposed to how some in the media are portraying things, Perry isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket.

Steele: “This is the energy side of the equation.  And then there will be the manufacturing side of the equation.  And there are other aspects of our economy that will be creating jobs—”
Franken: “Wait?  When?”
Steele: “He said!  Next week in South Carolina.”
Franken: “Oh.  So we’re gonna get a little at a time.”

Finally, former Bush advisor Karl Rove says it’s nice to finally hear Perry lay out some policy proposals.  But, why not start with something a little more original?

“It was useful for governor Perry to begin to pay attention to substantive issues, and promise to lay out over a series in the next coming weeks a substantive approach.  But this was probably the weakest element of the pro-jobs plan, simply because it echoed everything everybody else already said.” (Fox News)

But Politico points out -- there are parts of Perry’s proposal that aren’t found any other candidate’s agenda.

“For example, he proposes instituting a separate court specializing in energy and environmental issues to speed up litigation. No major candidate appears to have made a similar proposal at the federal level, although various states and localities, including Vermont and Cobb County, Ga., already use such courts.”

(Image source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

BY LUKAS UDSTUEN

You're watching multisource global video news analysis from Newsy.

Scientists have made quite the discovery after examining some ancient teeth. They looked at remains from victims of the Black Plague buried in London. The scientists are the first in history to reconstruct the genome of an ancient disease using only skeletal remains.

When the Black Plague swept through Europe during the 14th century it killed roughly half of the population. And CNN reports the recently constructed genome is not so genetically different from strains of the plague still around today.  The network interviewed the author of the study who says...

“They’re almost identical … Even a mother and a child show more [genetic] differences than the ancient Black Death strain and the modern plague strain.”

Last year anthropologists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz confirmed the Black Plague was caused by Yersinia pestis -  a disease that kills an estimated 2,000 people each year. But the genetic similarities unearthed in the study don’t explain why the death toll is so low now.  NPR talked with a biological anthropologist on the research team who notes...

“There is no smoking gun, so to speak, to say, 'Aha, we've found the one mutation which caused this tremendous virulence and now we know why it killed 50 million people.' We don't see that...”

The researchers suggested other factors beyond genetics to explain why the Black Death was so fatal. The New York Times reported “the deadliness of the black death may reflect the condition of its medieval victims.”

“The climate was cooling, heavy rains rotted out crops and caused famine, and the Hundred Years’ War began in 1337. People were probably already suffering from malnutrition and other diseases when the plague arrived like the fourth horseman of the apocalypse.”

It’s likely modern anti-biotics could have severely limited the death toll of the plague. Still, John Hatcher says our society is now much more inter-connected than it was in the past. That could mean bad news in the event of a similar epidemic.

"Paradoxically society was able to cope much better in the 14th century with deaths on this horrendous scale than we would be today. And this is primarily because people were to a degree self sufficient and independent. Whereas today we have such complex interconnections that deaths on anything like that scale would cause complete chaos."

Thomas Gilbert is one scientist who previously tried to find plague DNA from Black Death victims. He wasn’t able to do so but in an interview with NPR he says this new research looks very convincing.

“He says the insights that come from these studies will be of interest not only from a historical perspective, but also to help scientists understand how deadly epidemics have emerged in the past so that they can get ready for what might come in the future.”

According to CNN, the new research suggests “the Black Plague was the first time Yersinia pestis has infected humans. It’s possible an earlier plague of Justinian in 541 A.D. was caused by a different pathogen. It’s also possible it could have been caused by an extinct strain of Yersinia pestis.”

Transcript by Newsy.

(Image Source: SunLive)

BY MADISON MACK
ANCHOR CHRISTY LEWIS

New Zealand officials are scrambling to contain an oil spill that Environment Minister Kick Smith is calling quote “New Zealand's most significant maritime pollution disaster in decades.” ABC Australia gives an overview.

“A Liberian flagged cargo ship hit a reef two days ago creating an oil slick that’s now five kilometers long. Officials are worried the ship might break up, releasing all 1,700 tons of oil into the sea.”

Reports say 20 to 30 tons of oil have already leaked from the ship and officials are trying to remove the rest before it can seep out. But as Television New Zealand notes the ship was miles off course and should never have been close to the reef in the first place.

Reporter: “As an expert can you explain this vessel lying here.”
New Zealand Maritime School Instructor: “I would not have a clear explanation for that no.”

Maritime School Instructor: “They have radar, they’ve got a GPS that gives them their position, and of course the traditional paper chart on the chart table.”
Reporter: “That equipment should be enough?”
Maritime School Instructor: “That has been enough since World War 2 and before that.”

And Al Jazeera notes the ship had a history of problems.

“Earlier this year Australia officials detained this exact same vessel citing a number of safety violation including cracked and rusted parts.”

A second barge will start removing oil from the stranded ship on Sunday, four days after it originally hit the reef. The delay has sparked outcry from the public. The New Zealand Herald interviewed the owner of a diving school who says…

“There seem to have been slow, ill-equipped and inefficient responses from the organisations and departments that should have been doing something about this. People here are angry. They're really angry.”

According to ABC Australia a team of 200 specialists and 300 defense personnel are on standby in case the oil reaches the coast, which officials expect will happen by Wednesday.

Transcript by Newsy.

Image Source: People

BY LAISHI ZHOU
 

ANCHOR CHRISTIAN BRYANT

Cat-lovers are calling for Chris Pratt’s head -- he says -- after he asked his followers on Twitter if they’d adopt his aging cat. Crushable writes.

“In a since-deleted tweet, Pratt wrote, “anyone in the LA area want a cat? full disclosure, she’s old and prone to accidents. So sweet though. And was in Stuart Little. (literally)” A bunch of people then informed him that that’s not the smartest way to go about re-homing a cat, and some were not very nice about it.”

Not very nice -- sounds like an understatement. Contact Music blogs that cat fans went a little too far.

“His thoughtful actions have provoked a storm of protest - and he has even received death threats for using the social networking site as a place to search for a cat caretaker.”

Pratt is insisting he did nothing wrong. The Huffington Post explains.

“Taking to his blog to clear up the situation, Pratt wrote that he was sensitive to the criticism and assured fans that he had found the cat a good home…“I found my aging cat a god damn loving home! Ease up with the death threats for heaven’s sake!…my wife and I want to start a family and we ABSOLUTELY CANNOT have an animal that sh*ts all over the house.”

That didn’t stop the criticism. Reader “I like cats” argues Pratt’s logic doesn’t really make sense in a comment on People Pets.

“He doesn't even have a baby yet! And babies take time to create, his ‘senior’ cat may not even live another few years.”

On his blog, Pratt says he found the cat a nice, warm home. He writes:"Her name is Meghan and as far as I could tell she is a perfectly reasonable, sweet and friendly cat lover."

(Image source: PETA)

BY NATHAN GIANNINI

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

You’ve heard the phrase -- once bitten -- twice shy? Apparently, that doesn’t apply to animal rights group PETA. Never a stranger to controversy, it’s swimming with the sharks these days -- quite literally.

WTSP reports -- 21-year-old CJ Wickersham was spearfishing this weekend off the coast of Tampa Bay when a nine-foot bull shark bit him in the thigh.

“The details from then on are a little hard to remember but he’s crediting his friends for their quick reaction for saving him. Now he’s had several surgeries and received 800 stitches.”

PETA’s response? How about -- releasing this billboard with the tagline: “Payback is hell. Go vegan.”

WESH-TV has more on PETA’s view from below the surface.

“The group says they hope Wickersham understands how the fish he hunts feel. PETA says it’s planning to put the billboards in cities where there are the most shark bites. They’re saying their message here is that sharks aren’t the most dangerous animals in the world, but humans are.”

And if you think PETA’s worried about the waters in which it’s wading -- worry not.
PETA’s campaign director tells WWSB:

“It may be an unusual way to get the message across, but I think it will cause people to be more sensitive towards fish ... We are certainly glad the man is going to be alright, but we hope he and other fishermen will use this as an opportunity to rethink fishing.”

A writer for Gizmodo recognizes the need to protect animals, but says using Wickersham as a poster boy is a step too far.

“They’re using a man, who almost died, as their soapbox. ... I understand that PETA’s shock and awe campaigns are meant to get people on both sides riled up. They want to spark discussion and raise awareness. ... But when we’re talking about using a human life as a sacrifice to jumpstart a campaign that belittles his accident? That’s the line.”

Wickersham is expected to make a full recovery and should be out of the hospital sometime next week.

(Image source: Flash News)

BY AMY WILLMOTT

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

An American man’s book portrays his nine month love affair with a captive dolphin.

The book’s been out since 2009, but it’s just recently started to snag international headlines.

New Zealand’s 3News interviewed Brenner -- who told the network -- it was the dolphin who courted him.

BRENNER: “I'd warn anyone who's in a relationship with a dolphin. You have to plan an exit strategy.”
REPORTER: "Mr Brenner believes around 15 percent of the world’s population has had sexual contact with an animal."
BRENNER:“If you believe the statistics, something like one in every six men and one in seven women has had sexual contact with an animal.”

Ruby passed away when Brenner went to college. Since the interview, the book has increased in popularity. At one point it even had a five-star rating on Amazon. The company describes the book like this:

“Set at the height of Vietnam protests, Jimi Hendrix and LSD, Wet Goddess is a story of strange encounters, awkward misadventures, and ultimately, love.”

But a writer for 100gf doesn’t think the popularity is genuine -- suggesting the book may be riding the trend of a cottage publishing industry.

“Wet Goddess is arguably part of a wave of novels that have reached prominence in recent years because of their seemingly absurd topics.”

While Brenner's relationship with the sea seductress wasn’t illegal at the time in Florida, his recent book and interview received a lot of negative feedback. Gawker described Brenner as a...

“Bestiality advocate” and “A self-described sex cult survivor, peyote enthusiast, and Wiccan...”

Still- no one had a chance to interview Ruby about all of this. The Huffington Post interviewed Dr. Denise Herzing of The Wild Dolphin Project who says there’s nothing funny about any of this.

“Glorifying human sexual interactions with other species is inappropriate for the health and well being of any animal. It puts the dolphin's own health and social behavioral settings at risk."

But the David Farrier, the reporter who actually talked to Brenner, didn’t have much bad to say. After the interview’s popularity, Farrier did a follow up Q&A commenting positively on his experience.

“Despite the odd topic, I found Malcolm really easy to deal with, and sort of liked the guy. I didn’t come close to understanding what he did, but as a person, I have no qualms with the man.”

But Farrier’s take is in the minority, and Brenner has taken to his blog to defend himself, saying...

“I’ve put up with plenty of abuse in my life, I don’t need to take any more...” (Wet Goddess)

(Image: Emil Salman / Haaretz)


BY STEFANIE REDDING


1000 Israelis stripped down and bore all for a photoshoot at the lowest point on earth.

American Photographer Spencer Turnick turned public nudity into a political statement -- by having a mass of activists take off their underoos in an effort to save the Dead Sea -- which the AP reports is losing about 4 feet per year. Turnick tells Telegraph...

“That’s why I wanted this location, that's why I fought so hard to do this location because I felt that, as the water level is dropping, people have to stay on top of the land and soon they won’t be able to enter the water anymore because there will be no water.”

The organizers planned the naked shoot at the Dead Sea to coincide with the voting for the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest. They hoped to win a spot in the contest, pressuring Israel to make a bid for a UN World Heritage Site -- which would salvage the Dead Sea.

A writer for Time says pulling off the nudity stunt took “military precision...”

“… gathering more than 1,000 people by bus from around Israel in the dead of night, in order to arrive in time for the pre-dawn shoot -- as well as secrecy: The precise location, Mineral Beach, was kept closely guarded, in part to discourage gawkers and in part because Israelis are not all of one mind on these things.”

Some Israelis were not impressed with the naked photo shoot happening on the Jewish Sabbath. The Jerusalem Post reports the protest faced...

“... some fairly muted opposition at the last minute from the religious camp – including a condemnation from Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and another from MK Zevulon Orlev that this was ‘Sodom and Gomorroh’...”

A participant described the salty skinny-dip in a column for Haaretz.

“It was amazing. The landscape was magnificent. The Dead Sea water didn’t burn as I had remembered from 7th grade. The people were relaxed and in good spirits. In short, it was an experience of a lifetime.”

(Image Source: Weather Underground)

BY WEI GAO
You're watching multi-source video analysis from Newsy.

Ten oil workers are missing after Tropical Storm Nate raged in the southern gulf of Mexico early Friday. Fox News had the story.

“Unfortunately we are dealing with a tropical storm that is soon to become a hurricane. (FLASH) It is slowly strengthening, a lot of warm water here in the bay of Campeche. Here are the tropical storm models, looks like it's going to make a landfall across eastern portions of Mexico. One of the outliers here brings it up towards Texas.”


WDSU reports - the missing oil workers were trying to escape the storm’s ravages by evacuation.

“The 10 disappeared after being taken off the rig amid high seas stirred up by Tropical Storm Nate. The workers were contracted by Geokinetics, based in Houston, Texas.”


By Friday afternoon the National Hurricane Center announced Nate had slowed to 50 miles an hour -- but it’s still expected to make landfall as early as September 11th.

A meterologist from Atlanta’s WSB notes -- it could have been worse.

“It looks like it's going to go into Mexico. Could ramp up into a hurricane. But earlier this week we were talking about it drifting up into the northern gulf. Looks like that's not going to happen. So no tropical moisture headed our way.”


Meanwhile -- Tropical Storm Maria -- could hit the East Coast of the United States by next week.

(Image Source: Flickr/Pabo76)

BY JESSICA SMITH

You're watching multisource video news analysis for Newsy.

Del Monte Foods is taking the FDA to court. The reason? The food production giant says the administration wrongly blamed the company for a Salmonella outbreak back in March. Here’s FOX 5, with details on what happened then.
 

“Del Monte Fresh Produce is recalling cantaloupes purchased at Costco for possible Salmonella contamination. The fruits were sold in beige, plastic sleeves, with three melons in each between March 10th and 21st.”


The recall pulled a third of Del Monte’s cantaloupes off shelves, but the company says the FDA didn’t do their homework.  Portland’s KOIN explains,


“Health officials, Del Monte says, did not investigate any other farmers of cantaloupe that could have caused the outbreak. At least 20 people in ten states were sick in that outbreak.”



In a statement, Del Monte said there’s no proof its cantaloupes were contaminated, and claims the FDA made an “erroneous speculation, unsupported by scientific evidence.”
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=108461&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1599820&highlight=


Food Safety News says the FDA never did find a genetic fingerprint linking Del Monte cantaloupes to the outbreak. But the food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says the FDA’s job is to look out for the consumers first--and that’s why it issued a recall.


“‘Del Monte appears to be asking for the almost impossible before the FDA can issue an alert,’ [the director says]. ‘The company wants the FDA to require a smoking gun, a positive genetic test, before taking action. That is unrealistic and puts a burden on investigators that is unmanageable.’”


Michael Doyle, Director for the Center of Food Safety at the University of Georgia tells The Packer this lawsuit could be a wake up call for public health officials.


“‘This lawsuit could do more harm than good, but it might make epidemiologists more cognizant of the fact that they’re responsible for not only public health, but economic consequences,’ Doyle said.”
 

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(Image Source: ABC News)

BY LOGAN TITTLE

You're watching multisource environment video news from Newsy. 

Look out, Weezy and Fat Joe—you aren’t the only ones making it rain.

ABC reports—scientists from Germany and Switzerland have found a way to create raindrops with a laser beam.

New Scientist sheds some light on the process.

“A cloud chamber was filled with air that was saturated with water. Short pulses of infrared laser light were then fired into it. This ionized the air and triggered water droplets to condense and form a cloud.”

Wait—water...from light? How does that work? Nature.com explains...

“...laser filaments can induce water condensation and droplet growth up to several [micrometers] in diameter in the atmosphere as soon as the relative humidity exceeds 70%.”

So, basically in order for it to work-- there already has to be water in the atmosphere.

International Business Times tells us the scientists behind this experiment want to control the weather to help fight floods and end drought.

But all rap puns aside-- isn’t there already a way to make it rain?

Technabob explains—traditionally, a method called “cloud seeding” has been used to create rain by injecting a certain chemical like silver iodide into the air. The problem is—the chemicals are toxic.

(video source: Chad79068)

So when will scientists take this experiment to the skies? One researcher tells Fox News- hold on to your umbrellas-- it’s gonna be awhile.

“…[the watery particles are] currently limited to a few microns…They should be 10 to 100 times larger to produce actual rain.”

But once the raindrops reach the right size—scientists say it’ll be a cinch to shoot the light from the ground and into the atmosphere.

Transcript by Newsy. 

Image Source: NASA GOES satellite

BY ZACH TOOMBS

With the east coast just beginning its recovery in the wake of Hurricane Irene, the U.S. might soon have to brace itself for round two. Tropical storm Katia is gaining steam in the Atlantic and could become officially classified as a hurricane within the next 24 hours.

HLN has more.

“Tropical storm Katia is out there. It’s in the Atlantic Ocean, expected to strengthen up and speed up. Right now it’s too early to tell where and when Katia will make landfall.”

Katia also happens to be the name that replaced Hurricane Katrina in the National Hurricane Center’s revolving list of names.

CNN.com reports:

“The list of Atlantic hurricane names is repeated every seven years and this year the list that was used in 2005 is being reused. A storm name is retired if it is used for a hurricane that caused major damage, as Katrina did in New Orleans in 2005.”

Although the storm is closer to Africa than the Americas as of Tuesday night, Katia is projected to match the strength of Hurricane Irene’s peak within the next five days.

FOX News has the details on the brewing storm.

“Conditions are very favorable for it to continue to strengthen. So, by tomorrow, it’s going to continue to strengthen with sustained winds of 45 mph moving to the west-northwest pretty quickly for a storm at this latitude - at 18 mph. So, as we head into the next several days it should become a hurricane, and then as you take a look at the end of the workweek - Friday - category two storm. And, by the end of the weekend on Sunday morning, it could be a major hurricane at category three with sustained winds of 115 mph.”

But the possibility remains that Katia might not reach the U.S. at all. CNN’s Chad Meyers weighs in with his prediction.

“There is a slight trough. Let me explain this. It’s kind of a “U” in the jet stream. And that “U” should pick Katia up and take that big right-hand turn and make what we call a “gutterball” out of the storm. Not hitting the U.S., not hitting Bermuda. Just heading up to the north Atlantic into the cold water and being a dead storm.”

Katia is still about 500 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico.

(Image Source: The New York Times)

BY ADAM FALK

You're watching multisource U.S. news analysis from Newsy.

9,000 flights cancelled, millions without power and public transit systems in New York City and Boston shut down. That’s the scene as Irene wreaks havoc on the U.S. East Coast. Here’s a Fox News correspondent on Sunday in New York.

“Right behind me, you can see where the water’s edge is right now. There was a beach back there yesterday where people could walk out a considerable distance.”

Hurricane Irene made first landfall in North Carolina on Saturday, bringing 85 mph winds and 14 inches of rain. As CNN reports, these conditions were damaging-- but not devastating.

“While we didn’t see much in the way of any structural damage, which is a good thing, we certainly have seen - at least right here in this area - a lot of storm surge impact.”

As of Sunday, New Englanders were preparing for tropical storm Irene. The storm was downgraded when it hit Coney Island in the early morning with 65 mph winds. Still, a New York deputy commissioner tells The New York Times..

“‘Even though they are saying that the storm is weakening, hurricane winds are hurricane winds’ … ‘Whether they say it’s 80 miles or 75 miles an hour, what’s the physical difference in that?’”

The most wide-spread problem for now - power-outages. With millions on the east coast without power, NBC reports many are keeping track of Irene by keeping up with their Twitter feeds.

“Another person, Ginabru, says, “No power, relying on iPhone for news and flashlight. And other people are just saying that they are not able to have any power at all.”

But the tropical storm isn’t the Northeast’s only concern. The National Weather Service has issued tornado warnings for parts of New Jersey and Deleware.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a twister touched down near Chatsworth, New Jersey.

So far, CNN reports Irene is responsible for at least 13 deaths in 5 states. And the LA Times reports-- Tropical Storm Jose might be on its way next.
 

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(Image Source: The Weather Channel)

BY ERICA COGHILL

Irene versus the Big Apple…
The city’s preparing for the showdown… but just how much of a fight is Irene really going to put up when she hits NYC on Sunday?

The first hurricane to hit the East Coast in 7 years,

“Based on the latest forecast, it will be a category 1 storm, let me remind you that this kind of forecast is very imprecise and we are talking about something that is a long time away in meteorological terms.”

But, a meteorologist tells NBCNewYork that Irene could actually be more like an upper category 1 or even category 2…and he doesn’t expect her to weaken.

“One of the things I looked at was the sea surface temperatures that were 3 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, normally the hurricanes, as they come through, they weaken a bit, this is not going to weaken because the sea surface temperatures are warmer and that’s exactly what fuels the hurricanes, is warm ocean temperatures, and also, we have a lot of fast movement of the storm so it’s not going to have a lot of time to weaken before it gets here.”

But Bloomberg reported a different prediction…

“It will weaken as it moves closer to New York City.”

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will put the city that never sleeps to bed when he shuts down the subway and bus system from Saturday afternoon until Monday. With parts of Manhattan just a few feet above water, CNN says even if New York City is spared a direct hit, it will still have massive flooding.

“Consider this simulation, done by NOAA, showing what a category 2 hurricane could do to a tunnel linking Brooklyn and Manhattan, Donald Cresitello, with the Army Corps of Engineers mapped out some worst case scenarios, a category 1 hurricane, for example, could flood the subway station at the southern tip of Manhattan with three and a half feet of water, a category 2 storm, he says, could put JFK Airport under 5 feet of water.”49-1:15

Now that’s one of the worse case scenarios, and as far as being optimistic goes…CNBC has some less frightening news…

“The best case scenario is for the jet stream to kick this thing out to sea and we’re on the west side, which if there’s any such thing as a better side of a hurricane, because the winds are actually moving against the flow of traffic, so if you think about a baseball pitcher throwing a hundred miles per hour, but he’s in a car moving twenty miles per hour, which is the speed of this storm, it’s coming at you at 120, so we would still get a lot of wind, a lot of rain.)

But according to CBS news, it doesn’t matter the severity of the storm….there will still be serious damage.

“Every 75 years New York gets a major hurricane, it doesn’t take a major hurricane to do major damage.”


 

(Image Source: Marvelous Girl)

BY WEN YAN

You're watching multisource world video news analysis from Newsy. 

Who are the most powerful women in the world and why? A freshly arrived Forbes list ranked the 100 most powerful women in the world.  Forbes’ woman president and publisher Moira Forbes talks about the selection criteria on CBS’ "The Early Show."

 

MOIRA FORBES: "We looked at women in a number of different categories: politics, business, media, lifestyle and -. And we looked at things like hard powers: how much money do they earn or they control, and important to times like this, soft powers: how many individuals follow them on Facebook, on Twitter, things like social media. … New to this year, we also looked at power bases, how many power bases and influences these women have above and beyond their daily jobs."
 

Although the 100 most powerful women fall into various categories, No.1 and No.2 are both politicians. German Chancellor Angela Merkel tops the list recognized as the "undisputed" leader of the EU because of the key role she played in saving the EU from the debt crisis. Following her is US secretary Hillary Clinton. (Forbes)
 

Among the most powerful women, the subject of "The Devil Wears Prada", Anna Wintour, American Vogue's chief editor – who doesn't think of herself as intimidating by being powerful. She said in an interview with Forbes…

 

ANNA WINTOUR: "Oh, I don't think myself as intimidating, and I assure you all the people that I worked on a day-to-day basis don't think that either. I think it's just something that's been fabricated by the elements of media. You know, as you well know, once something is out there, particularly in today's, they just get exaggerated. And I keep my head down and I'm trying to my job to the best to my ability."

As for the most powerful female celebrity, it's not hard to guess.
 

Lady Gaga knocked Oprah Winfrey from the No.1 Spot as Fox News said and became the most powerful celebrity woman in the world.
 

Transcript by Newsy.

(Image Source: WUSA)

BY: KERRY LEARY

You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy. 

Another shaky day in D.C. -- no, not because of the economy. 

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck just before two p.m. in Louisa, Virginia -- 83 miles outside of Washington D.C..
All that shaking led to evacuations and pandemonium up and down the East Coast.

The Pentagon, the Capitol, parts of the White House and all national monuments were closed and evacuated.
The aftershocks reverberated all the way to New York City. Many buildings in Midtown Manhattan were evacuated including New York’s City Hall. (Video from MSNBC)

The earthquake was felt in New York City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and on Martha’s Vineyard -- where President Barack Obama was golfing when he heard the news about the 3.7-mile deep earthquake. (Video from ABC)

A reporter for WUSA in D.C. says the earthquake didn’t impact most day-to-day activities, though some did get stuck in an early rush hour as many fled work after the earthquake hit.

“A lot of folks are maintaining their day and going forward, even as other folks are finding their rush hours rudely interrupted. I gotta tell you, I was a little surprised, and perhaps a little disappointed that the earthquake experts say that we could be in for perhaps a worse after shock if this was a fore-shock of worse things to come so we’re going to be looking out and hoping that doesn’t happen.”

After the earthquake struck, other concerns were soon top priorities as many worried about a tsunami and about the nuclear power plants close to the epicenter.

In light of the recent Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant disaster in Japan, nuclear reactors were a main concern. For safety reasons, two reactors 20 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake were shut down. The plant is now using four diesel generators to maintain cooling. There is no reported damage.

Bridges are being inspected -- flights were grounded at New York airports -- and cell phone reception was disrupted in DC.  Many celebrities went straight to twitter to comment on the earthquake- some of them even joking about it.

@FINALLEVEL (Ice T): I'm from LA..... So that was like a normal day in Cali.

@adamlevine: Ok. Even GOD is pissed off at Washington now.

@kathygriffin: Me on ph in my NYC hotel room "uh, I think we're having an earthquake right now" My Mom "You're nuts, it's just windy" TIP IT!

No serious injuries or deaths have been reported.

Transcript by Newsy. 

(Image Source: NASA)

BY CHARLIE MCKEAGUE

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

It’s coming.
Hurricane Irene – the first major hurricane of the season -- is projected to make landfall in the U.S. by the weekend.
The impact zone could be massive – stretching from Miami to Boston.

“Irene continues to be the top story. Right now it’s a category 2 storm. … But in the days to come we are going to have to keep tabs on Irene along the immediate Southeast coast, the Mid Atlantic, and some impacts could be felt in the Northeast.”

Category two for now – but meteorologists expect it to strengthen – possibly to a category four.

“Here’s a look at the forecast as we get into Thursday early morning. Now we we’re talking about it as a category 3 storm making its way to the Bahamas.  Notice the way the forecast fans come very close to the east coast of Florida and the Carolinas through Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday as a major hurricane.  That’s category 3 plus. It is time to prepare now.”

Irene is moving slowly –about 10 miles per hour – and its projected path could change.

But where it could hit – would affect millions of Americans. (The Weather Channel)

NASA captured these images from Space – and Irene - at a category two - is already a giant.

Those are some images from space – but ABC has shots from the ground in Miami -- where people are gearing up.

“It already walloped Puerto Rico and knocked out power to a million people. …  People from Miami to the Carolina’s aren’t taking any chances.  They are boarding up their houses and stocking up on food, water, and other supplies.  Some flights are already being cancelled.”

Stay tuned to Newsy’s iPad and iPhone apps for the latest multi-source coverage of Hurricane Irene as it develops - and other pressing environmental stories.


 

(Image: WHO)

BY STEFANIE REDDING

Somalians are facing a widespread cholera epidemic --- within a week the number of cholera related cases increased by 11 percent.

Here’s Xinhua News Agency.

“The world health organization said on Friday an alarmingly high number of cholera cases have been reported in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu this year more than two hundred people have been killed. The number of cases is two even three times than what it was there last year, and health experts are saying its an epidemic.”

Many of the victims that are susceptible to cholera are children. The infection dwells in the small intestines -- with symptoms include watery diarrhea and vomiting. The infection is treated by oral rehydration, however, the numbers of those infected are growing.

The Daily Beast explains why...

“The epidemic has spread so quickly because so much of the population is mobile. Sections of the southern part of the country have been gripped by a famine that has already killed an estimated 29,000 children. More than 100,000 people have fled the south and settled in makeshift camps in Mogadishu.”

Most people that are traveling have little to eat and are consuming contaminated water. Somalia faces its worst drought in 60 years leaving about 12 million people facing starvation. (Video source: Telegraph)

Although cholera infections are causing the deaths -- militant groups are to blame for slowing the flow of aid.

The New York Times reports...

“Compounding the problem are the limitations of the transitional government of Somalia, which controls little more than the capital -- and it is a loose control at that -- and much of the country is in the hands of a group of Islamist militants, the Shabab, who have forced out many Western aid organizations.”

So what’s being done to protect the people from the militant groups? The National Post writes...

“Somalia on Saturday called for the creation of a special humanitarian force to protect food aid convoys.”

Currently, WHO has issued diarrheal disease kits to treat affected areas of  the Horn of Africa

(Image source: The Guardian)

BY LEXA DECKERT



You're watching multisource politics video news analysis from Newsy.


Concerned about the United States’ debt crisis? Don’t worry -- the White House won’t let you down. CNN reports...



“The White House decided to pull an Internet prank on the 2.5 million people who follow the official White House Twitter account --  When people clicked this is what they got -- ‘I will make you understand... never going to give you up... never going to let you down... never going to run around... never going to hurt you...”


This unusual tweet from the White House was in response to one follower’s comment...

"This WH (White House) correspondence briefing isn't nearly as entertaining as yesterday's."

That’s when Brian Deese -- Deputy Director of the National Economic Council-- responded:  

“Sorry to hear that. Fiscal policy is important, but can be dry sometimes. Here’s something more fun.”



Wiggs had just been Rickrolled. The Daily Mail explains what this means...

“The on-line craze of 'Rickrolling' people took hold around 2009. An internet user would click on an innocent looking web link, only to find they were directed to a picture of 80's pop star Rick Astley singing his number one hit Never Gonna Give You Up.”


New Zealand’s Stuff explains-- this was not exactly a hip move by the White House -- but accepted all the same.



“Although a few years late to the internet meme, the White House proved that having a sense of humour never gets old."


And Astley’s record producer, interviewed by Telegraph, says the White House’s interest in Astley is not new.



“He had a song called ‘Together Forever’ and we had a call from the White House at the time -- they were going to sign the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and they wanted him to go and sing at the conference while they signed the papers. I think it’s ironic that he never did it then but here we are all these years later and now the White House says to America ‘Hey it’s not all that bad let’s listen to a bit of Rick Astley.”


And The New York Times wonders... maybe a little rick-rolling is good for the American spirit.


“So, sure, Rick-rolling is not the most businesslike approach to informing the public. But maybe, in these uncertain times, the message of, ‘Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down,’ is just what the American people need to hear.

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(Image Source: Global Post)

(Image source: dyxum.com)

BY ALEJANDRA QUINTELA

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

You're watching multisource environment news analysis from Newsy.

It looked like doomsday Tuesday night in Phoenix--

As a dust storm of historic proportions swept through the area.

Meteorologist Dr. Greg Forbes explains-- the 50-mile wide dust storm was part of Arizona´s monsoon season.

“It is a classic. It is what we call a haboob. It got his name from the same storms, dust storms, in the Middle East. This is an American haboob. It is a wall of dust that it is pushing its way north toward the Phoenix area.” (The Weather Channel)

The Guardian reports the wall of dust blanketed the city in chaos and darkness.

“The storm caused some power blackouts, leaving up to 8,000 people without electricity and police directing traffic...streets were blocked by toppled trees...The city's airport closed for an hour, with the Federal Aviation Administration warning about continued flight delays.”

According to The Washington Post -- the dust wall crossed the Phoenix metro area at 60 mph-- catching some residents off guard. One neighbor tweeted--

“So tonight I went out to pick up our pizza order & 30 seconds later we were hit by the huge wall of dust that reduced our visibility to nada.”

And The Arizona Republic reports the storm left paths of dust and damage in the valley. National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Ellis says more dust storms are due Wednesday evening.

"No night is ever going to be exactly the same... The odds of getting another (big dust storm) are not that great, but on the other hand, the conditions have not changed that much, so it's possible.”

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(Image source: Montreal Gazette)

BY LEXA DECKERT

You're watching multisource video news analysis from Newsy

Four dolphins off the coast of Vancouver Island may owe their lives to Facebook. GlobalToronto explains.

“A group of stranded dolphins triggered an intense rescue effort in the coastal BC community this morning...  It was the power of social media that made the rescue possible. Word of the dolphin’s plight spread on Facebook and about 50 people showed up to help.”

The relief effort for the dolphins began with one man -- who couldn't have saved the dolphins alone -- Pacific white-sided dolphins can weight more than 150 pounds each. CBC News reports his experience...

REPORTER: “The first man on scene called friends for help.”
MAN: “Finally one of the neighbors came over and I guess the news got around in town and these 50 people showed up.”


The first plea for help on Facebook was posted around 7 a.m. and despite the early hour people responded quickly. A News talked to one of the first responders...

WOMAN: “I’ve always wanted to do some kind of helping thing like this and it’s one chance in a million -- not that you want to have to do anything like it happen but to be part of it is just a wonderful thing.”
MAN: “It was awesome. It was stressful and rewarding and good karma for everybody.”


The Province reports the opinion of a Marine Mammal Response Biologist for Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the rescue...

“...[I] would have liked to have been able to do a veterinary assessment of the dolphins, but due to the urgent nature of what happened here we're just very glad that they got back in the water and they do appear to be swimming on their own... Our response program relies very heavily on public involvement... Certainly Facebook and Twitter are very good things when it comes to these kind of urgent situations."

BC Local News marvels at the people rather than the power of Facebook...

“Had volunteers waited for too long, the story may not have had as happy an ending... It’s inspiring and comforting to know there are so many people in this city who are willing to led a hand when someone, or something, is in need.”

The reason for the beached dolphins is still unknown -- although some think they were caught unaware by the tide while hunting for fish. They were all returned to the ocean with only a few scratches by 10 a.m.

 

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(Image source: California Institute of Technology)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

You're watching multisource science news analysis from Newsy.

Were dinosaurs warm-blooded or cold-blooded? And how could we tell without a time-travelling thermometer? Researchers at Caltech took up the challenge. One explains why the issue grabbed their attention.

“... they’re just intrinsically fascinating. They were titanic creatures that dominated the landscape. I think everyone would like to know what the Earth’s historical dragons and monsters actually were like -- How did they live? How did they behave? How did their bodies work? This has been one of the classic problems of paleobiology for over a century.”

Were dinosaurs fast and active, or slow and sedentary? When in Earth’s history did warm-bloodedness first evolve? To tackle these questions, CBS explains -- the researchers studied bulky sauropod dinos the way geochemists study rocks.

“The proof was found in shavings from ancient dinosaur teeth. Isotopes -- atoms of carbon and oxygen -- clump together in cold environments, but not as much when it’s warm. In the dinosaur teeth they studied, the Caltech team found little clumping of isotopes -- scientific proof the teeth developed inside warm bodies.”

The research shows that when the teeth developed, they were in a body that was roughly 100 degrees -- colder than modern birds, warmer than cold-blooded lizards, and pretty much equal to warm-blooded mammals. So is it case closed? A writer for io9 says, not so fast.

“Unfortunately, it's not quite as easy as all that. While this may seem to suggest warm-bloodedness, the larger the animal, the hotter it tends to be, thanks to the heat retaining properties of being a mountain made out of meat. While the results seem to be on the warm side, for an animal that large they're actually colder than many models predicted.”

But the question isn’t how warm the dinosaurs were, but whether they made their own heat. These results are right in the range where they don’t answer the question firmly either way. But one dino expert tells MSNBC the new technique -- taking temperatures from ancient teeth -- could eventually lead to a solid answer.

"If we were to find comparable temperatures in hatchlings of sauropods and juveniles of sauropods, that would definitely support the idea that these animals were endotherms [warm-blooded].”

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BY: SAMUEL JOSEPH

ANCHOR: ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

This is Newsy Now and here are the headlines you need to know. In U.S. news-- President Obama visited Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to push what he called the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership. WZZM has the details.

ANGELA CUNNINGHAM: “The goal is to get industry, universities and the federal government all working together to invest in emerging technologies. and the University of Michigan will be very much involved with this. Over the past year or so manufacturers have begun to bounce back from the recession. Obama believes the way to continue that is to figure out ways to invest more in technologies such as information technology, bio technology and nanotechnology.”

In world news-- euronews reports former Rwandan Minister for Women’s Affairs has been convicted to life in prison for her involvement in the Rwandan genocide.

ANCHOR: “The voice of the judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda sentencing former Women’s Minister Pauline Nyiramasuhuko to life in prison for genocide and encouraging the rape of Tutsi women. The judgement signalled the end of a ten-year trial by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The 65-year-old is the first woman convicted by the UN-backed court. She was found guilty of seven of the 11 charges which she faced and denied all of them. Her son was also found guilty of atrocities committed in Rwanda.”

In business news-- it just never ends. MSNBC says the Winklevoss brothers are at it again.

REBECCA QUICK: “We thought maybe we finally heard an end yesterday when the twins decided not to take this to the Supreme Court. the expectation was that they would lose at that point. so we thought we were finally rid of this, but they are back just a day later now saying that they are filing with the U.S. district court in Massachusetts. They are seeking to try and prove that Facebook intentionally suppressed evidence.”

In tech news-- it appears other hackers are getting fed up with Lulzsec. But Lulzsec doesn’t seem to care very much.

According to TG Daily-- the infamous hacking group sent out several tweets online criticizing fellow hacker “The Jester,” who put up several post logs from the group. They said the Jester was just trying to get attention from their notoriety and insulted his coding skills.

And in entertainment-- the hit game Team Fortress Two is now completely free to play. Buzz:60 has more.

MAUREEN ALADIN: “There’s nothing like being able to play one of the most action packed for PCs and Macs online for free. Team Fortress 2 is now available for everyone’s playing pleasure. and this is not a demo version. It’s the full experience. The creators of the game wanted to reach as many online players as possible so playing for free fit their multiplayer game model.”

Stay with Newsy for more analysis on news throughout the day. For Newsy Now I’m Ana Compain-Romero-- highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.
 

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BY DAN CORNFIELD
 

You're watching multisource environment video news analysis from Newsy.

60 million barrels of oil.

The International Energy Agency announced plans to release oil from strategic reserves in an attempt to control costs ahead of the summer driving season.

“This release is the largest ever. By comparison, after Hurricane Katrina, the DOE released 11 million barrels from the SPR.”

“The concept being, Simon, oil as you know, is priced at the margin. So a small amount the thinking goes, could have a large effect.” (CNBC)

30 million will come from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

A couple weeks ago, President Obama foreshadowed the move, saying the Libya conflict had taken 125 million barrels of oil off the market. He told reporters at a White House gathering...

“My general view has been that the strategic petroleum reserve is to be used when you don’t have just short term fluctuations in the market, but where you have a disruption.”

The disruption prompting this release -- Libyan oil production. But Fox News contributor Bill Kristol says the White House made the decision for the wrong reasons.

“There’s no serious economist or energy expert who thinks this is a good time to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Oil prices have actually topped out and have been going down the last three, four weeks. In any case this is a very small release and it doesn't address the issue.”

“So it’s not a serious energy policy matter. It’s a political decision.”

According to government estimates - the U.S. consumes 18 million barrels of oil a day. Business Insider’s Joe Weisenthal says the release isn’t worth a day and a half of energy.

“Sure, into a weak, jittery market that was already selling oil this morning, today's news caused a bit of a jolt, but this really is a big, inconsequential waste.”

So while the amount is not staggering, it could be the shot in the arm the economy needs. CNN’s Poppy Harlow says there could be a direct impact on prices at the pump.

“Oil prices are down more than 4%. I want to show you where gas prices are on an average here in the the U.S. Right now they’re at $3.61 a gallon. So the thought here is that over the next few weeks you’re going to see those average gas prices going down.”

 

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BY: SAM JOSEPH

This is Newsy Now and here are the headlines you need to know. In U.S. news-- an AP report suggests federal regulators are undermining the safety of nuclear power plants. Here’s Fox News.

STEVE CENTANNI: “82 of the 104 of the operating nuclear power plants in this country, more than 25 years old. That means equipment wears out and safety is compromised. But a lengthy investigation by Associated Press finds that instead of demanding immediate repairs, Federal regulators often weaken the standards to bring the reactors back into compliance.”

In business news-- CNBC reports state global warming lawsuits against power companies have been rejected.

ANCHOR: “The Justices saying states cannot pursue claims related to global warming and the emissions from power plants using federal public common law. Those questions are the province of the Environmental Protection Agency.”

In world news-- passengers aboard the U.S. flagged boat “The Audacity of Hope” joined the flotilla intended to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.

The Jerusalem Post reports more than 20 countries are participating in the flotilla. Passengers aboard “The Audacity of Hope” say they will carry no goods or weapons. Instead they will carry thousands of letters of support from people throughout the U.S.

In tech news-- infamous hacker groups Lulzsec and Anonymous have teamed up in what they call “Operation Anti-Security.”

PC Magazine says the groups are also teaming up with any other hackers willing to join the operation. The article also mentions a blog called Lulzsec Exposed, which claims to have given information about the hacking group to the FBI.

Finally, in entertainment news-- "Jackass" star Ryan Dunn died in a car crash. WJLA has more.

“We’re learning a cast member from the MTV show ‘Jackass’ died in a car crash early this morning. Investigators say Ryan Dunn’s car left the roadway and burst into flames. They say Speed may have contributed to this crash.”
http://www.wjla.com/

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BY MYCHAELA BRUNER

You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy.

The massive wildfire in Arizona is now the largest in the state’s history and has crossed the border into parts of New Mexico.

“When you hear that freight train sound… That’s an indication that it is moving. It’s a sound that firefighters dread… The one that tells them they aren’t out of the woods yet. Daily Motion

Firefighters and crews are working hard to protect the community -- while Fox News reports authorities are questioning two individuals who may have started the Wallow fire by abandoning a campfire.

 “I should say ‘persons of interest.’ The flames burning 750 square miles in more than two weeks. That’s an area larger than New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., combined.”

Reporter: “We’ve been told there’s more than two, but four or five they’ve talked to so far.”

MAN: “I don't think they have ruled out the catch fire was the only source at this point and they have identified this and a camp fire was the most likely source.

And as KPHO reports - authorities have also been writing down the names, addresses, and license plates of the visitors that make their way into the origin of the fire.

“Rumors and speculation have ravaged the communities of eastern Arizona. Residents have expressed anger as they watch the pristine forest go up in flames because of what they believe is irresponsibility on the part of visitors to the forest.”

Evacuation plans for Luna, New Mexico are still in schedule as the fire sets a new record at 469,000 acres.  The fire is not only the main concern—the smoke is deadly -- and KDKA explains -- this fire is especially persistent.  

“The extremely thick forest is making this fire worse. Firefighters say flames typically scorch only grasses and small trees on the forest floor, but this fire is skipping across tree tops.”

The Wallow Fire is far from being under control – however, the community and firefighters remain optimistic as they work to keep the fire from spreading across the border into Luna. According to the Associated Press - more than 30 homes have been destroyed and almost 500,000 acres engulfed. 

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BY ZHENG HWUANG CHIA

You're watching multisource world video news analysis from Newsy.

Koala bears. They’re cute and cuddly - but sadly - they’re also decreasing in numbers.

According to French newspaper Le Monde - scientists estimate Australia’s koala bear population at somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000. The number has decreased as much as 80% since the 1990s. Several factors pushing koala bears close to extinction include urbanization and farming - and also - Chlamydia.

Chlamydia? As in -- the STI?  Yes, even koala bears get them. How? The Friends of the Koalas says - we’re clueless.

“Some of the possible explanations are via introduction of infected mammals to Australia... exposure to it during the koala's evolution, or or a combination of these factors.... Chlamydia is readily transmitted to young in the birth canal and via pap. Mating, and possible fighting and other incidental contact are also likely sources of infection.”

As if the disease weren’t bad enough -- outside conditions can make the situation worse. In 2010 -- The Week reported...

“The rate of infection... flare up when the animals are under stress. Development ... and drier weather ... are (stressing koalas out by) ...  shrinking their dietary staple, eucalyptus leaves. This is especially hard on koalas, since they are ‘notoriously fussy about what types of eucalyptus leaves they eat’..."

If this has been an ongoing problem - why do we not hear much about it? AOL News looked at the issue in 2010 and reported - we’re talking money here.

“Koalas are estimated to have a $1 billion impact on (Australia’s) tourism industry. What tourist, after all, would want to be photographed with an animal known for its chlamydia? It's a benefit to the tourism industry that you don't see koalas with disease.”

AOL spoke to a University of Queensland researcher who said -- 50-80 percent of the koala population has chlamydia. Effects include kidney damage, conjunctivitis and incontinence.

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Image sources: HELLO! Magazine, Forbes, Top News, Sky News)

BY: SAMUEL JOSEPH

ANCHOR: CHRISTINA HARTMAN

You're watching multisource headline news analysis from Newsy.

This is Newsy Now and here are the headlines you need to know. In world news-- Syrian troops move to their next target after crushing resistance in Jisr al-Shughour. Euronews has more.

ANCHOR: “The Syrian army is reported to be on the move towards another northern town where anti-government protests have taken place. This after arresting hundreds of people near the flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughour, which was retaken by the military on Sunday. Witnesses say the town of Maarat al-Numaan is now the army’s target, as it pushes on with tanks and helicopters.”

In tech news-- Lulzsec is at it again. CNN reports this time the hacking group hit the U.S. Senate.

ANCHOR: “All the official websites connected to the Senate are under review after a hacker compromised security this weekend. The intruder was able to hack into their server that supports Senate.gov. Senate officials say no damage was done. The hacker only gained access to files that were already open to the public.”

In U.S. news-- the town of Hamburg, Iowa is under threat from the Missouri River. Here’s Fox news.

ANCHOR: “Crews in Hamburg, Iowa scrambling to build a makeshift levy and save their town from disaster. Missouri river water now spilling through a massive hole in the main levy and could leave that town underwater by as much as ten feet.”

To business news-- where Google has made its most impressive clean energy investment to date. CNBC gives you the details.

ANCHOR: “Today it’s announcing a $280 million fund to allow northern California based Solar City to install solar panels on thousands of homes across the country, bringing Google’s total investments in clean energy to $680 million.”

Finally, in entertainment news-- Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mistress, Mildred Baena, has spoken up for the first time in Hello! magazine.

The magazine got an exclusive interview with the elusive Baena, who spoke up about her son and her interaction with Schwarzenegger’s former wife Maria Shriver. The full interview is available in Hello! magazine issue 1179.

Stay with Newsy for more analysis on news throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Christina Hartman-- highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.
 

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BY CHARLES STANLEY

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

A wildfire has now grown larger than the cities of New York City and Chicago combined --and is threatening crucial power-lines. The Arizona wildfire is among the top stories of the day with most major media outlets covering it.

“Dry heat and high winds continue to fuel a monster wildfire in Arizona.” (CNN)

“The wildfire in Arizona spread to over 600 square miles.” (MSNBC)

‘Thousands of people in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas could see rolling blackouts.” (ABC)

“...This is an unbelievable story folks” (Fox News)

Unbelievable indeed - according to MSNBC - so unbelievable - the fire is easily visible from satellites orbiting the earth.  

“Take a look at this satellite image of the fire from SPACE.” 

Firefighters are hoping winds will die down - and forecasters expect the winds to calm a little bit on Thursday.  But with a fire this big and this dangerous - crews are bringing in the big guns.

“Today they are sending in major reinforcements.  A 747 supertanker they hope will slow the fire’s growth.”

So far - more than 8,000 people have been evacuated and there have been no reports of wildire related deaths. Fox News says the real danger - is power lines.

“Crews battling to keep that fire from reaching two electrical lines that literally supply juice to that entire region.”

Stay with Newsy as we will continue to monitor the days top stories bringing the analysis to you.

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BY ADNAN KHAN

You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy.

The severe storm season just got worse as a massive tornado ripped through Springfield, Massachusetts. NBC has more…

 “For a time this particular tornado resembled the Tuscaloosa storm. At it’s height this one 10 miles high. Commercial jets couldnot fly over it. Had to fly around it. This storm carried debri aloft – suspended in it one mile in the air. The first population center to get hit by the tornado was Springfield, Mass.”

The Boston Herald reports the Governor of Massachusetts has declared a state of emergency.

“Patrick declared a state of emergency last night and activated 1,000 National Guard troops. The Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Team — which responded to Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001 — was also dispatched to the tornado zone.”

The Herald is also reporting at least four dead, 200 injured, and an estimated 50,000 residents are without power.

Video: WGGB

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BY JJ BAILEY

ANCHOR JJ BAILEY

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While the Midwest recovers from an onslaught of tornadoes, a new danger is rising, this time- from the North.

Heavy rainfall in the Northern Plains and extreme snow melt has caused the Missouri River to rise to dangerous levels, putting towns from Montana to Missouri at risk of severe flooding.

According to the Billings Gazette, Roundup Montana has eight feet of standing water in parts of town, and roads to Billings and Helena are completely washed out. They spoke to the county emergency manager who said..

“The only way we've got to get out is to go to Forsyth and around... I can't get the Red Cross in here through the high water.”

Now towns South along the river are preparing for what is expected to be historic flooding. According to the Pierre Capital Journal in South Dakota, On May 23, dams were already releasing over 600,000 gallons of water per second into the Missouri River. Video: Pierre Capital Journal

“...the North Dakota National Guard is being deployed to help with sandbagging and the newspaper is referring to water levels as the “100-year flood,” meaning an event like this occurs once a century.”

With the Mississippi River already high, the Missouri River’s dangerous rise has put the Army Corps of Engineers in dire straits, according to Jody Farhat,Chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division

“There's no good news... Basically, there is little or no storage left in our reservoirs... it moves us into uncharted territory...”

According to the Kansas City Business Journal, Forecasts Tuesday said that flooding conditions would develop by the weekend at several Missouri River locations near Kansas City. At Leavenworth, the river was forecast to reach its initial flood stage of 20 feet by Friday and stabilize at 21.7 feet by Saturday

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BY JJ BAILEY

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“First though the incredible weather that’s breaking out across the central part of America at this moment. Live footage now El Reno, Oklahoma, courtesy of our network news service affiliate KWTV outside of Oklahoma City where a tornado has struck and with great fury.”

Video: Fox News

Two days after Joplin, Missouri was hit by the deadliest tornado in decades, Oklahoma was rocked by as many as five tornadoes. Reports say at least four dead, but the number is expected to rise.
Video: The Weather Channel/ KFOR

This radar map was captured from the National Weather Service, following the devastation. It shows the massive cell that passed through the state headed toward Missouri.

The Oklahoman has images of flattened homes and wrecked vehicles -- as well as neighbors helping each other clean up in the wake of the disaster.

Reports have the biggest tornado at over half a mile wide, with wind sheer approaching 190mph. It was said to have been on the ground for more than 50 miles.

“It’s a half mile wide- it’s another killer tornado! It went across highway 81 when it intensified and it almost got us. It intensified right on top of us, it’s a half mile wide killer tornado, just crossed Gregory Road it’s now gonna cross northwest expressway in about a minute. It’s crossing Northwest Expressway right now.

“Look at the size of this thing Mike. It’s gotta be an EF4 EF5.
Anchor: Piedmont get below ground! Piedmont get below ground or get out of the way, you’re running out of time. You’re down to like a minute or two get out of the way. Piedmont get below ground or get out of the way you’re out of time do it now!
Reporter: Look at how big it is Mike. Oh My gosh. Get out of here get out of here now! “

The towns of Piedmont, El Reno, Guthrie, Canton and the outskirts of Norman have all taken damage. Stay with Newsy for continuing coverage.

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BY JONATHAN KETZ

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This is Newsy Now, and here are your latest headlines.

In US news, Senator John Kerry is optimistic about U.S. relations with Pakistan. In an interview with ABC’s Jane Cowan, the senator says that progress can be made. C-SPAN interviewed New Mexico Senator Tom Udall. He wants people to remember how important Pakistan is to the war on terror.

Tom: “The important thing is to stay focused on how important they are in Afghanistan. 50 % of our supplies come through Pakistan, so it’s very important.”

In other U.S. news--George W. Bush’s former speech writer reveals how the 9/11 mastermind knew he would stop being tortured. Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed would count down on his fingers how long the CIA could use its “waterboarding” technique to get him to talk. For safety reasons, the CIA can only “waterboard” somebody for 40 seconds.

The Telegraph says, “waterboarding involves pouring water over a subject’s face, which is covered in cloth, in order to make them feel like they’re drowning.”

In business news---while supply for gasoline in the U.S. goes down, demand goes up. Supply dropped 15,000 barrels during the week of May 13th.

According to Oilchem.net---the future ain’t looking great either. Supply in China has dropped off---as the nation’s largest refineries there shut down for maintenance. The closed refineries produce about 7 percent of the oil there.

In entertainment news---we now know the name of the woman with whom Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child.

Mildred “Patricia” Baena or “Patty” as they call her---cleaned the Schwarzenegger house for 20 years. The View’s Sherri Shepherd is torn on her feelings for the mother.

Sherri: “You can kind of feel for a person who says -- it's been this long. I have this child. I can't -- because she never told anybody. That's the thing. But it's hard to feel sympathy.”

Joy: “She didn't tell Arnold he was the father until the boy was a toddler. That's the information. Not the kid.”

Finally some good sporting news out of Cleveland--with good luck charm Nick Gilbert center stage, father Dan had nothing to worry about. The Cavalier’s owner won the first and fourth round draft picks of the NBA Draft. With both picks so early, ESPN’s Jay Billas says the Cavs can pick the cream of the crop.

Jay: “The question for Cleveland is who do they take for number four. With having the number one and four pick, it gives them a little more leverage. It gives them some choices to make. They may want to move ‘em. I doubt it, but they may want to.”

Stay with Newsy.com for all your headlines throughout the day. I’m Megan Murphy for Newsy Now---hilighting the worlds top headlines making you smarter---faster.

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BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

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Drill baby, drill. Widely attributed to Republicans -- it’s now coming from President Obama.

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: “We should increase safe and responsible oil production here at home. Last year America's oil production reached the highest level since 2003. I believe we should continue to expand oil production in America. Even as we increase safety and environmental standards.”

The announcement comes after House Republicans passed three bills aiming to speed up offshore oil and gas drilling. The White House announced opposition to that legislation -- but the Associated Press points out -- Mr. Obama adopted some of those provisions in the plan he announced Saturday.

You might expect Republicans to be happy to see some of their proposals in the White House plan -- but the response -- looks more like “too little, too late.”

NEWT GINGRICH, C-SPAN: “The fact is, when we developed drill here, drill now, pay less, we were right. They were wrong. And they had drilled now, paid less in 2008, we'd be paying less in 2011.”

Still - both sides acknowledge - leasing new areas in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve and the Gulf of Mexico - won’t do anything to help gas prices in the short term. So why now? Politico notes -- it’s the president’s FOURTH weekly address in a row to address energy -- saying this is...

“...a preemptive strike against bolder efforts from Capitol Hill as consumer unrest deepens over the price at the pump.”

MSNBC’s Mike Viqueira reports -- for the short term -- both sides are holding their breath in the hopes prices will just drop. And he says -- the president’s plan is nothing new -- he’s always said he planned to expand drilling.

“Now, granted, his emphasis over the course of the last two years has been the so-called new energy economy. Solar, wind, bio mass and the like. He has said he wants to increase domestic drilling.”

But drilling is only part of the picture. In a nod to his base -- the president says he’ll continue to go after the around $4 billion in taxpayer subsidies each year for oil and gas companies. But the conservative blog Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey contends -- it’s all politics.

“...this announcement just buys Obama some time and a respite from the political fallout of high gas prices.  Still, the fact that Obama had to protect himself in this manner shows how politically damaging his refusal to expand American production has become, and how damaging it will continue to be.”

Republicans hope the nationwide average of around $4 a gallon will provide a boost for the party’s efforts to unseat the president in 2012. But on the politics -- The New York Times Nate Silver argues -- there’s no correlation between presidents and pump prices.

“...studies have found, also, that the linkage is weak, and that casual analyses tend to mistake correlation for causation. That’s certainly not to suggest that there’s no linkage at all... But reports that are drawing a simple, one-to-one correspondence between gas prices and Mr. Obama’s approval ratings ... are probably a bit superficial.”

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BY JACKIE MEJIA

ANCHOR ALEX ROZIER

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“The outskirts continue to be inundated with water. That’s where most of the home damage has been. Over 900 homes have been affected by this flood. (Flash) For the most part, there is a big traffic jam of water going on. Those tributaries can’t drain because the Mississippi is so full and also being squeezed by some of these levees.”
(CNN)

It's not just humans that are being displaced by the massive Mississippi River flood - states like Tennessee and Louisiana are experiencing a flooding of more than just water. Fox News reports - some slimy visitors are slithering their way down south.

“There’ s also rats and leeches, just some of the animals in the water. And further south in Louisiana, authorities are actually warning residents to watch out for alligators. That’s where flooding is expected next.”

Diane Sawyer takes an inside look for ABC News on the can of worms - or snakes - that all these critters can cause down the road.

Diane Sawyer: “That’s the big problem in a way, isn’t it? Because they are going to be in people’s homes even when they go back.”

Sawyer Voice-Over: And it’s not only the snakes...

Shelter Preparedness worker: “You’re gonna have spiders...”

Sawyer: “Rats...”

Shelter Preparedness worker: “The snakes, rats...”

Sawyer: “Fire ants...they float. They float in big pods on top of this water.”

Another sector of the animal kingdom that is being hit hard? Oysters. Food Safety News reports on how the rush of freshwater damages these mollusks.

“Massive amounts of freshwater [...] could now devastate those oyster harvest grounds. Oysters cannot maintain their saltwater balances when hit with too much river water. The damage from the flood control actions will set the oyster industry back by at least another year, experts say.”

And white-tailed deer are in trouble too, as they are being forced to seek higher ground. A coordinator for a Mississippi state wildlife program - quoted in the Natchez Democrat - warns residents in the area to stay away.

“These animals have been stressed by sometimes long movements from other areas. Deer and other wildlife may be forced into the water or try return to flooded areas when pressured. The best thing to do is to leave the wildlife alone.”

Wildlife experts have warned residents along the Mississippi River to keep on the lookout for venemous Cottonmouth snakes, as well as being cautious when they return home - since wildlife could still be in or around their homes.
 

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BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

You're watching multisource video news analysis from Newsy.

As the Mississippi River rises to historic levels- reporters are grabbing their boots and waders and heading to the underwater parts of Memphis.

“Just so you can see, I’m only half way down this stair case down into this area where tourists normally walk over to the riverboats back there. But this water could be easily six feet or higher as we get down this staircase.” (CNN)

“We’ve seen fish and snakes just running around and we’re told this water could still be here by next week.” (ABC)

“The danger continues south of here. Natches, Mississippi, Vicksburg, Mississippi are in line next. The casinos and businesses there are now starting to close. (NBC)

But is all the attention too little, too late? At a time when international affairs are stealing headlines, a blogger for American Thinker thinks the dangerous flooding took a backseat to more sensational stories.

“Virtually unreported by the national media ... is the greatest flood on the Mississippi River and lower parts of the Ohio River since 1937. Are radio stations playing- as they did after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans ... Randy Newman's great  ‘Louisiana 1927’? Is CNN going wall-to-wall? … Nope.”

But a blogger for Gather writes, maybe the situation isn’t as dramatic as Katrina because lessons were learned after levys broke in New Orleans.

“Southerners and Memphis residents won't go down without a fight: ...lessons from past disasters... have shown city officials the importance of going door-to-door to warn residents. They are also taking care to patrol neighborhoods to prevent looting.”

And reporters from Sacramento’s KCRA focus on those door-to-door efforts- reporting- local officals aren’t relying on TV stations to get the word out about evacuating threatened areas.

“They’re doing that door to door because during Katrina people relied on TV quite a bit and what they discovered was people were out sandbagging and weren’t necessarily watching TV the entire time."

According to The New York Times, flood waters in Memphis are expected to crest on Tuesday. The river will remain at its peak for nearly 2 days before beginning to recede.

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BY TARA GRIMES

ANCHOR ALISON ARCHER

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Scientists call it an alarming development- and say there’s a need for urgent action. A recent report by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program says melting ice in the Arctic could cause global sea levels to rise more than 5 feet within this century - that’s two and a half times more than the 2007 projection. The report says the more drastic prediction is because the melting ice allows more sunlight to be absorbed, creating a feedback loop. (Video: BBC One)

“The greatest increase in surface air temperature has happened in autumn, in regions where sea ice has disappeared by the end of summer. This suggests that the sea is absorbing more of the sun’s energy during the summer because of the loss of ice cover.”

Like many news outlets, TG Daily suggests the long-term outlook is grim.

“It says there are signs that warming is accelerating, and that the Arctic Ocean could be pretty much ice-free during summer within 30 or 40 years -- again, much sooner than previous estimates.”

Some news outlets are focused on what this could mean for coastal areas including London, New York City, Bangladesh, and Shanghai.  NBC Learn spoke with a professor from the University of Pennsylvania.

DR. BENJAMIN P. HORTON, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: “If we get rates of sea level rise, greater than one meter even, we’re going to inundate many of the coastal areas on our planet causing health problems, social economic problems, biological problems, even political instability.”

Voice of America spoke with a University of Maine Climate Change Institute professor who agrees. He says while 2100 seems far away, since half the world’s population lives in coastal areas, we should act now.

GORDON HAMILTON, LEADING GLACIOLOGIST AND UNIVERSITY OF MAINE CLIMATE CHANGE INSTITUTE PROFESSOR: “You know if you’re building coastal structures and you’re planning the development in coastal zones, these are the types of human activities that take place over the course of decades and so we need to be making these decisions with the best sea level rise estimates in hand.   

According to the LA Times, foreign ministers of Arctic nations will meet this week to discuss the report.

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(Image source: SmartPlanet)

BY MAURICE SCARBOROUGH

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY
 

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It’s Jaguar’s car of the future - the C-X75. The low-emissions, hybrid super-car that wowed spectators at the Paris auto show is now going into production.

“Jaguar announced it would build 250 examples of a car based on the C-X75 concept, the 205 m.p.h. hybrid ... When it ships in late 2013, the car will be priced from £700,000 to £900,000, roughly $1.1 million to $1.5 million at current exchange rates.”

So what does 1.5 million bucks get you? If it stays true to the concept... a lot. G4TV explains.

“The CX75 is propelled by four 195 horsepower electric motors, powered by a massive 500 pound lithium-ion battery. ... The interior is no less spectacular, featuring touch screen menus and phosphorus blue interior lighting.”

One key feature that will be missing from the production model - is a pair of twin turbine engines near the back of the car. As a writer for Engadget explains...

“Those will be replaced with a four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine, which will aid the four electric motors (one attached to each wheel). Don't worry, though, this tweak has actually made the C-X75 accelerate even faster, as it's now rated to go from 0 to 60mph in under three seconds.”

Jaguar enlisted the aid of British Formula 1 team Williams to help create the super car. And as a writer for the blog SmartPlanet sees it, the collaboration could help make green strides in the automotive world.

“The Jaguar-Williams hook-up should help advance the state of hybrid car technology, which in turn should be good news for reducing automobile emissions. The competition among automakers to out-green each other with hybrid and electric models will continue to make impressive, iterative improvements.”

Jaguar hasn’t announced an official on-sale date, but says it’s fielding “expressions of interest”.
 

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(Image source: The Washington Post)

BY PAUL ROLFE

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

You're watching multisource environment video news analysis from Newsy.

Prince Charles made a trip to the U.S. for the first time since 2007. He came to D.C. for three days -- fresh from his son’s wedding -- to discuss sustainable agriculture. On Wednesday, he met with President Obama and spoke during a conference at Georgetown University.

The Prince of Wales said it’s a departure from his routine from the past few weeks.

Prince Charles: “It certainly makes a change from making embarrassing speeches about my eldest son during wedding receptions and things like that.”
Reporter: “And then the serious stuff. The prince spoke about food production, making the case for sustainable farming and denouncing what he sees as the modern evils of pesticides and chemicals.” (BBC)

After his Georgetown speech, he visited urban farms, chefs, and then the White House. Prince Charles praised the First Lady’s efforts to reduce childhood obesity. The Guardian reports he also criticized the billions of dollars of subsidies the U.S. gives out for large-scale agriculture.

“Could there be benefits if public finance were redirected so that subsides are linked specifically to farming practices that are more sustainable, less polluting, and of wide benefit to the public interest?”

The prince has been an active supporter of sustainability for 30 years. The New York Times Green blog points out personal actions he’s been taking.

“The Prince of Wales has adopted sustainable and organic farming methods on some royal lands that he manages, although it is less clear that he has turned a profit doing so ... he promoted organic farming methods in a documentary, ‘Harmony,’ that was broadcast last year in Britain and the United States.”

An Irish-born filmmaker, Phelim McAleer isn’t buyin’ what Prince Charles is sellin’.  Here’s a quick peak of his short two-minute film entitled “Prince Charles - Hypocrite”.

subtitled: “He also condemns consumerism saying our ‘age of convenience’ is over and that we have just six years to save the planet ... But Prince Charles does not want to end his ‘age of convenience’.” (YouTube / noteveiljustwrong)

A writer for The Independent liked the video -- saying it did a good job of humbling the prince.

“...it’s always fun to see the rich, famous, and mollycoddled ruling class being brought down a peg or two. So for that, we give thanks.”

President Obama and Prince Charles also discussed their alliance in Afghanistan and Libya as well as the royal wedding. Later in May, Mr. and Mrs. Obama will be making a state visit to the United Kingdom.

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BY ASHLEY CROCKETT

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

You're watching multisource environment video news analysis from Newsy.

Tourists flock to the Grand Canyon for its breathtaking views -- and now miners are flocking for its high-grade uranium. A two-year moratorium on mining enacted by the Obama administration in 2009 is set to expire in July -- sparking debate over whether the government should continue the ban, or let miners in.

Cronkite News reports this is a golden economic opportunity for uranium miners.

“There are more than 5,000 claims to mine around the Grand Canyon. Most of them, like Vein Minerals, are based outside of the U.S. And it’s no wonder the worldwide appeal. Uranium’s value has skyrocketed from around $11 per pound in 2003 to $63 now -- an increase of nearly 500 percent.”

But the economic benefits would only impact the mining companies -- and most of those profits wouldn’t end up in the US. Congress isn’t happy about the growing foreign ownership of uranium mining claims.

High Country News reports -- “Even though over $1 billion worth of hard rock minerals are plucked from, and hauled off, public lands every year, no company -- regardless of where it’s based -- pays state or federal royalties for hard rock mining, or any rental or user fees.”

Environmental groups are up in arms over the prospect of mining in an area prized for its biodiversity. Lynn Hamilton tells Public News Service runoff from existing uranium mines has already polluted several rivers, creeks and springs within the national park.

“It’s really alarming for people to feel like the areas that they’re visiting and recreating in, which they consider to be wilderness areas, are tainted in this way ... Many Native Americans have died from drinking tainted water or from using that water to sustain their livestock and crops when it’s contaminated.”


The Obama Administration has until July 22nd to decide whether or not to enact a new 20-year mining moratorium. Whatever the decision, The Christian Science Monitor reports it will impact more than just the area around the Grand Canyon.

“...the decision could set a precedent for other natural landmarks also being hedged in by uranium and other mining claims.”

According to the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory report, hardrock mining produces more toxic waste than any other industry.

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BY CHRISTIE NICKS

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

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That’s the sound of the end of a battle between Missouri and Illinois - ignited by Mother Nature.  

On Monday night the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blew a hole in a Mississippi River levee just south of Cairo,  Illinois. The blast relieved about 20 percent of the pressure built up from the rising Mississippi and Ohio rivers- caused by excess rain and snow upstream this year.

Here’s CNN with more.

REPORTER: “We’ve done an extraordinary amount of engineering here across our river systems, especially in the mid sections of the country and you know, when mother nature dumps a ton of rain into that system it doesn’t always hold very well so we’ve got to come up with extreme measures to try to alleviate some of that pressure- doesn’t make everybody happy.”   

Missouri fought Illinois all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court - fighting against the Corps blowing a hole in the Levee. A blogger for Delta Farm Press fleshes out the two sides of the argument.

“...blow the Birds Point-New Madrid levee and save the city of Cairo Ill., at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Or don’t blow the levee and save 133,000 acres of prime farmland in Mississippi County, Mo., along with homes and several flourishing businesses within the floodway. Cairo or farmland.”

Government officials on both sides of the issue fought hard for their state’s interests.

U.S. SEN. BLUNT-MO: “But if that happens, we’ve lost lots of productive farm land in Missouri for, I would suspect this year, and maybe more than this year.”

CAIRO MAYOR CHILDS: “I think once you start comparing lives, with land, I think it’s a darn shame and I’m terribly upset about it and I don’t care who knows it.”

But the court ultimately shot down Missouri’s appeal to avoid the blast. A decision an editorial contributor for The St. Louis Post Dispatch calls a ‘no brainer’.

“It had to be done to save lives over land…Missouri politicians, unfortunately, have acted parochially by choosing to defend home-state farmland instead of the greater good… If the water doesn't go into the valley, where does it go?... How many tragedies will it take before government interests realize they can't beat Mother Nature?”

A writer for TIME magazine points out-  this shouldn’t come as a shock to Missourians. It’s been the government’s plan all along.

“Nobody likes to flood farmland on purpose, but this particular farmland is in a floodway. After the catastrophic flood of 1927... Congress designated this sparsely inhabited area to be sacrificed in case the river ever rose that high again.”

The river levels dropped immediately following the blast. The St. Louis Beacon reports Corps officials said the break in the levee will cause the river at Cairo to drop four to five feet in a couple of days…but it could rise again after that depending on the weather.

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BY PAUL ROLFE

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

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Here comes the bride... and it’s House Speaker John Boehner?

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched a website inviting viewers to a “R-Oil wedding”. Except this union is between Republicans and Oil companies, hence the play on words -- “R” and “Oil”.

The flowered invitation tells “guests”: “In lieu of gifts, please send corporate tax breaks at the expense of middle class Americans.” (roilwedding.com)

But jokes aside - the campaign is opening up debate over oil subsidies. The Huffington Post says the DCCC has a point when you look at campaign contributions.

“Indeed, the Republican Party's acceptance of campaign contributions from big oil vastly exceeds that of Democrats … $21.8 million for the GOP in the last election, compared to the Dems' $6.5 million.”

The R-oil wedding comes at a time when President Barack Obama is calling for repealing $4 billion in yearly oil subsidies. What’s interesting is that Republican Speaker Boehner opened the door for the conversation in an interview with ABC earlier this week.

Jonathan Karl: “For Speaker Boehner it was a significant shift that stunned Washington, suggesting a willingness to do away with tax breaks for big oil.”
John Boehner: “We’re at a time when federal government is short on revenues, we need to control spending, but we need to have revenues to keep the government moving. And they ought to be paying their fair share.”

The Wall Street Journal calls the whole thing a “gas price freakout” -- and it says Mr. Obama’s plan for increased revenue isn’t going to make things better at the pump.

“Oh, and Mr. Obama wants to devote the proceeds to even more spending on ‘clean energy.’ The problem here is that some renewables (ethanol) increase the cost of driving, while the others (wind, solar) are irrelevant in transportation.”

A columnist for Townhall says, if it’s all about gas prices, then there’s not much the U.S. can actually do.

“[E]liminating subsidies for oil and gas will show little effect on either lowering or increasing prices at the pump because of the nature of the U.S.'s role in global prices in the crude oil market ... there is only so much the United States can do.”

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says the $4 billion in subsidies are no longer needed as an incentive to search for oil. He says repealing tax breaks is just a part of the solution.

“There is no single silver bullet that’s suddenly going to bring us back to $2.50 gas. And that’s a reality, and that’s why we need a serious long term energy policy.” (Fox News)

To get a sense of what $4 billion from oil subsidies means -- Exxon, alone, reported $11 billion in earnings in just the first quarter this year. (SOC)

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BY STEPHANIE HICKMAN

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy.

A series of deadly tornadoes tore through the South on Wednesday-- destroying several towns and leaving more than 200 people dead. Alabama was the hardest hit with what many are calling the largest outbreak of tornadoes since 1974. USA Today reports:

“In Alabama, where as many as a million people were without power, Gov. Robert Bentley said 2,000 national guard troops had been activated and were helping to search devastated areas for people still missing. He said the National Weather Service and forecasters did a good job of alerting people, but there is only so much that can be done to deal with powerful tornadoes a mile wide.”

To put these storms in perspective, The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang notes, the tornadoes that chewed up the South were...

“...rare, mile-wide plus beasts, causing hideous damage, including denuded trees, flattened buildings, and pancaked cars...several factors have to combine in just the right way...making for a veritable “Goldilocks” scenario of tornadic weather - all of the pieces were there...”

Christopher England from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa was able to capture some footage of a nearby tornado. He spoke with CNN’s Anderson Cooper about his experience:

“My heart was racing because you see things like that in movies and everything, but you never see anything like that in real life....And you could see that the tornado was sucking stuff up from the ground. I couldn’t tell what it was, but I could see all kinds of things floating around it. But then you could see just different colors being sucked up into the tornado, and you knew that it was just ripping stuff up, and you just didn’t know what.”

CNN

Now, residents of the southern states are left picking up the pieces. Gov. Robert Bentley says Alabama suffered a quote “catastrophic event” and is asking for help from the federal government.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I know you also spoke with President Obama last night, and he has issued a state of emergency for the state of Alabama. What do you need from the federal government right now?

GOV. ROBERT BENTLEY: Well, of course, right now it’s search and rescue. Right now we’re making sure that we find those that are injured and take care of those, and those that are deceased, taking care of their bodies.

ABC

Finally, The Christian Science Monitor asks Governor Bentley the question:  How, in this day of modern communications can that many people die?

“We were very prepared,... but it was just the force of the storms.  When a [large tornado] hits a highly populated area like Tuscaloosa, you cannot move thousands of people in five minutes. When an F4 or F5 tornado hits, there’s not much you can do to change the outcome of that.”

The National Weather Service says it received more than 150 reports of tornadoes from Alabama and Mississippi on Wednesday. Meteorologists say that’s a record-setting number.

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BY ALISON SCHUTZ

You're watching multisource environment news analysis from Newsy

It’s an explosive issue dividing two states -- Missouri and Illinois.
The issue: whether to save a small Illinois town, or tens of thousands of acres of fertile Missouri farmland.
The Army Corps of Engineers has to make that choice - blow up the levee - or wait.  Once a federal judge gives the final word. Kansas City’s KMBC9 News has more details.


REPORTER: “The levee at the center of this, Birds Point, is just below the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers near New Madrid, Missouri and is across the Mississippi from Cairo, Illinois which is in danger of flooding.”
MISSOURI GOVERNOR NIXON: “We’re a long way from wanting to see a levee blown up and a 130 thousand acres, 35 miles long, 5 miles wide of prime farmland, a couple of towns, washed out.”

It’s not a matter of if the levee will break. it’s where; and whether the Army Corps of Engineers should speed up the process to ensure a more predictable outcome.

CNN reports, towns up and down the Mississippi are already seeing small breaks in the levee.  Like in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

“If that levee breaches, there’s gonna be a rapid influx of water in that neighborhood.  You’re not gonna have time to outrun it.  It’s too late then.  So, you’re gonna wanna get out ahead of time.”

Missouri has sued in federal court to stop the Corps from blowing up the levee, saying Missouri’s farmland should not be sacrificed. That has outraged people like Illinois lawmaker Brandon Phelps who took the floor of the Illinois House to protest Missouri’s actions.

“When he starts choosing farmland over a community and lives, I have a real problem with that.  And it’s not even his land that we’re talking about.  Exploding that levee to relieve Cairo.  The Ohio River is already at 58.  And if it gets past 60 we’re talking about a disaster like back in 1937.  An historic flood.”

The Examiner’s Monica Wheelus says -- this isn’t just about a town -- versus farmland.  It’s more complicated than that.

“It sounds simple, except that it will flood 130,000 acres of farmland.  This would wash away valuable topsoil leaving a layer of silt that would take decades to clear, contaminate waters with chemicals and other pollutants. This also would possibly change the course the river takes, affecting the states to the south.  Since the flood would be ‘man-made’ most farmers would not be able to claim the loss with their insurance.”

Mark Twain mentions Cairo in his book “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” But The Chicago Tribune notes -- even defenders of history-rich Cairo say it’s a town whose best days might be behind it.  

“This onetime steamboat port and Civil War staging area attracts history buffs... Visitors quickly see that Cairo is an exhausted skeleton of its former self. The population, which peaked at 15,200 in 1920, has tumbled to 2,800 today.”

U.S. Federal District Judge Stephen Limbaugh is expected to rule on whether or not to proceed with exploding the levee -- by late Thursday.

 

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BY PAUL ROLFE

Sick and dying sea lions, birds, and dolphins have been washing up on southern California coasts for the past month -- scientists think they know why -- and it’s not the apocalypse.

NBC Nightly News spoke to the director of the Marine Mammal Care Center -- he says the cause is something called domoic acid.

“Domoic acid toxicity results from a naturally occurring alga bloom in the ocean, and when filter feeders like sardines or anchovies eat this particular diatom, it works its way up the food chain and has a neurological effect on animals like California sea lions.”

CBS Evening News reports marine centers have been rescuing record numbers of sea lions this year. They say the cause of death could also be over-population.

“The center has already rescued 172 sea lions this year, 139 percent more than last year. It’s the same story 400 miles north in San Francisco ... They’ve rescued a record 890 California sea lions, one ended up in a squad car after being found on the highway ... Part of the problem could be over-population. A record 59,000 of these animals were born along the coast last year.”

But most sources are reporting the domoic toxins are to blame. The director of Marine Animal Rescue tells Manhattan Beach Patch -- it’s the obvious cause.

“It's obvious from the stress on their face and behavior and having seizures on the beach, it's all domoic acid ... The pregnant sea lions are hard ones to watch, and the pups inside of them don't fare very well.”

KTTV in L.A. says recent massive die-offs of fish may also be a result of the toxic algae blooms.

“And this acid can cause seizures, paralysis, foaming of the mouth. In fish this can cause them to be disoriented. So it’s thought that it may have been the reasons why millions of fish swam into King Harbor, you may recall, last month. An unbelievable sight there.”

So where is this toxic algae coming from? KNTV in the the Bay Area says it may be a combination of warmer waters from the El Niño effect -- and pollution.

“A recent study suggested that chemically polluted runoff is a major cause of environmental change in the San Francisco bay. Fertilizers and pesticides could potentially alter the ecosystem, though it's still unknown how that would affect algae.”

KNTV also reports humans are at risk to domoic acid -- prompting wildlife experts to place a quarantine on harvesting live mussels. And beach-goers are urged to let authorities handle the sick wildlife that comes ashore.
 

(Image Source: Versus CO2)

BY PAUL ROLFE

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Businesses are taking advantage of Earth Day -- with a host of deals that make them and your wallet look good. KARE in Minneapolis features the “best” deals.

“Let’s start with a free full size cleanser from Origins.”

“On Saturday, Lowe’s is giving away a million trees nationwide.”

“Save the planet tomorrow by bringing in your own coffee mug to either Caribou Coffee or Starbucks and you get a free basic drip coffee or tea.”

“A free cup of soup and bread sticks from Eddington’s.”

Free coffee? Free soup? Sounds good. But Small Business Trends thinks businesses should make sure Earth Day is more than just a “PR bonanza”.

“It’s not a bad idea for businesses to commemorate Earth Day or ‘Earth Month,’ and use it to reinforce their commitment to green practices, while engaging customers on the topic of environmental stewardship.”

Companies like Starbucks and Volkswagen have put out ads -- touting real ways to help the planet on Earth Day, and the rest of the year too.

Starbucks encourages customers to save trees with reusable mugs.

Volkswagen - Canada asks people to air up their tires to save gas.

“We could save 24 million litres of gasoline a day. Isn’t it amazing what a little air can do.”

Meanwhile, schools are using the day as an educational experience while doing their part to save energy. WCAU in Philadelphia went to Evans Elementary, where the school turned out the lights and had kids read by flashlight.

Teacher: “Today we’re expecting to save about $100 with all the power off, all the computers, not using any of the ovens, $100 we’re gonna save today ... Most importantly we did this to show the kids, when you leave the room turn off the TV or turn off the lights when you’re not there.”
Reporter: “It is a good lesson and they seem to be enjoying it.”

In the spirit of encouraging individual change, Earthday.org has started a campaign for a “Billion Acts of Green” along with a Facebook app. The Independent takes a look at what pledges people are making for Earth Day.

“Users of the Facebook application have, so far, made a variety of pledges including ‘pick up the next piece of trash I see,’ ‘grow a garden that's completely organic’ and simply ‘not litter.’”

Friday, April 22nd marks the 41st Earth Day. You can go to EarthDay.org to pledge your own act of green -- and don’t miss those Earth Day deals!
 

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BY SAMUEL JOSEPH

ANCHOR CHANCE SEALES

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Texas wildfires have burned more than one and a half million acres and destroyed hundreds of buildings.

The fires originated in the west- but have spread farther east into the center of the state. Experts say severe drought has turned Texas into a tinder box.

Many Texans have already been evacuated and others are encouraged to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Austin’s KXAN talked to one woman who was forced to leave.

CANDY HOLT: “The fires were just flaring up back here and the winds were expected to shift. So they, the Sheriff’s Department came and told us that we needed to leave.
CHARLES BASSET: “This family returned to find their home intact, but that’s of little comfort with fires still raging around them.”
CANDY HOLT: “They said if the wind shifts where its blowing to the north, I mean, we’re right, like the first house in the path. So, it’s kind of scary.”

More than one thousand firefighters are tackling the blazes, many working 24 hour shifts, but the fires continue to grow. The Daily Tribune spoke to a regional fire coordinator, who said...

“These fires are being described as historical... We have never before seen fires or conditions like this in Texas.”

But how did it get so bad? According to The Christian Science Monitor, nature and man are both to blame.
 

“Deliberately set fires and careless trash burning are frustrating some 1,500 firefighters currently working... Dozens of new fires are flaring up every day as unusually dry conditions, a large amount of fuel in the form of winter-cured brush and grass, and high winds have all come together.”

Fires have been reported in all but two Texas counties -- but CNN interviewed another member of the Texas Forest Service, who says that’s not as alarming as it sounds.

ANCHOR: “If you are anywhere in Texas, or flying over Texas, do you have a sense that the whole place is on fire? Or is it that there are fires in almost all of these counties?”
DWIGHT DOLD: “There are fires in almost all of the counties, but not all of the fires are big fires. Some of them are just a few acres. Others are hundreds or thousands of acres.”

Texas plans to pump more resources into the firefighting effort. While over one hundred homes have been lost so far more than 8,000 homes have been saved.
 

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BY TARA GRIMES

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JOHN EHRENREICH, BONIFAY WATER SPORTS, PENSACOLA BEACH, FL: “Worse than any summer I remember, even worse than hurricanes.”

Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 workers and spilled 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico -- and now the question remains, just how bad is it?

Many news outlets agree the environment along the coast seems back to normal, but experts say the truth lies far below the surface of the Gulf.

The Washington Post cites studies saying the oil is still out there -- floating as tar balls, underneath beaches, draped across marshes, and lying on the bottom of the Gulf.  

“While the scientific and legal wrangling over the meaning of this growing mountain of data promises to drag on for years, even ardent environmentalists and cautious government officials agree on one point: The direst predictions of catastrophe sounded during the blowout have not come to pass.”

And the environment wasn’t the only thing affected -- According to the Public News Service, more than 300 residents along the coast have reported health problems believed to be associated with the disaster and cleanup.

Although BP argues there are no long-term health risks from the incident, a blogger for The Root doesn’t believe it -- and says, the company needs to take responsibility.

“BP and the government should also address the immediate needs of Gulf citizens. That includes monitoring citizens' health for exposure to oil and dispersants… and ensuring that seafood remains safe and sustainable.”

But in terms of economic impact, the news is more encouraging. The Wall Street Journal says the oil spill spurred economic development when lawyers and media flocked to the area right after the spill -- and although that has died down, there are more jobs, not fewer, along the Louisiana coast.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE NEWS HUB: “Should we take this as a sign that the economy has been more resilient down there than people have feared?”
LESLIE EATON, WSJ DEPUTY BUREAU CHIEF: “I think that’s exactly right. I think that lots and lots of people were hurt really badly, but I think some of the big industries that people thought would just dry up and blow away, especially the energy industry, just didn’t do it.”

While it’s hard to know how long the environmental and economical issues will linger, almost all news outlets agree---the whole incident is far from finished. A blogger for The Telegraph writes,

“The task of assessing the true toll is only now starting. It is highly charged, both commercially – since the result may decide how much may have to be paid in compensation – and politically, since Barack Obama, damaged by his hesitant handling of the crisis, has been over-eager in declaring it over.”

According to The Washington Post, federal and gulf state officials have currently taken tends of thousands of samples from the gulf’s waters, seafloor, marshlands, beaches and wildlife to investigate the damage of the environment.
 

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(Image Source: The Times-Herald)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

It was like something out of a movie. Several cities flattened after more than 200 tornadoes ravaged through America’s “tornado alley.”
Video: ABC

NBC’s Kerry Sanders tracks the storm’s path.

“The ferocious storms began in Oklahoma Thursday. The rampage continued for days, getting worse along the way. With more than 200 tornadoes killing people in a half dozen states from Arkansas to Virginia.”

North Carolina was hardest hit by the storm. Experts say it was the largest spring storm the state has seen in 20 years. ABC takes a look at the destruction.

“The tornado that moved through here in Sanford was on the ground about 63 miles. That’s incredible. 30 miles past where we are right now. When it blew across here, it tore apart buildings across the road through here. Blew out glass in cars, tossed these cars around, shut down that building, and tore it down as well.”

And while images of destroyed homes and families swamp the media, stories of hope are beginning to emerge.

“I don’t know what to call it.”
“A miracle.”
“I mean this little baby, three months old. Fine, you know what I’m saying.”

“Although you see the building was shredded in the storm, everyone inside of it survived.”

REPORTER: “So are these the youngest survivors of the storm?”
DOG OWNER “Yep these are the youngest ones.”

2011 has proven to be a golden year for severe weather: Floods in Australia, earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan, and now high winds in the U.S.. Al Jazeera places the blame on a natural weather phenomenon.

“This year the storms have been more severe than usual, and perhaps there is a reason for this.
La Nina is the name given to a subtle change in the Pacific Ocean, when the temperatures of the surface water are a little colder than usual. The drop is only about 1.5 degrees Celsius, but for the ocean, this is a large change, in fact the largest seen in decades.”

And while thousands are left to clean up the destruction, the Washington Post’s Andrew Freedman says - quote - “tornado season has only just begun.”

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(Image Source: Verus Carbon Neutral )

BY PAUL ROLFE

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The EPA survived the budget battle. The government avoided shutdown Monday night, agreeing to $1.6 billion in cuts from the Environmental Protection Agency -- with a reported $38 billion in overall cuts. PBS Newshour says the EPA was one of the hardest hit areas.

“There were big cuts for example to high speed rail, which is something that’s been a real priority of President Obama’s. There was a $1.6 billion cut to the EPA’s budget which is 16 percent of its budget. That’s a lot. Now it was less than Republicans wanted but it still was enough to really make a big difference.”

Bloomberg looks at what activists have to say.  The coal campaign director for Greenpeace weighs in -- saying the cuts send a bad message.

“A $1.6 billion cut coming just at the time the EPA is finally waking up and starting to adopt basic safeguards is going to have a significant impact … It’s a larger cut than a lot of other agencies and programs are facing, which unfortunately signals a willingness to compromise public health.”

It’s not clear yet where exactly cuts will come from. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson says in AllMediaNY.com, three-quarters of the cuts will come from state programs -- likely slowing down new rules on greenhouse gas permits.

“EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson said the largest cuts are those used to help states pay for pollution abatement. Climate change and hazardous waste cleanup programs lose about $72 million in funding.”

But a National Resources Defense Council blogger says the EPA came out of this intact -- making it somewhat of a victory.

“To get down to fundamentals, the final version of the spending bill … treats environmental protection as a legitimate public concern (and therefore as a legitimate government activity).  You’d think that would be a given at this point in history.”

The EPA says it understands the the need to make difficult decisions like these. The House is voting on the continuing resolution Thursday to fund the government through September 30th, 2011.
 

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(Image source: Discovery News)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

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It’s only been a few years since scientists learned cephalopods can hear. Now, it turns out their sensitivity to sound is much greater than we thought. Discover Magazine reports the findings.

“‘Massive acoustic trauma.’ It sounds like an ’80s metal band, but according to scientists ... it’s what happens to squid and other cephalopods when they are exposed to sounds similar to boat noise.”

While there’s been a lot of research on the effects of noise pollution on whales and dolphins, this is the first study focusing on more tentacled critters. But Discovery News explains there have been clues in recent years.

“Earlier indications that squid might be susceptible to noise occurred in 2001 and again in 2003, when giant squid washed up along the shore of Asturias, Spain. After struggling to identify the reason, biologists eventually concluded that the deaths were most likely related to the presence of vessels using seismic air guns for geophysical prospecting of the seabed.”

To test the idea, researchers captured 87 animals, and battered them with low-frequency, low-intensity sound for two hours. Then they dissected the animals and compared the damage to a control group. A blogger for the Natural Resources Defense Council explains the results were dramatic.

“Most of the damage occurred within the statocysts, a group of small air sacs around the animals’ head that helps them balance and orient themselves in the water. … At first the captive animals tried to escape; then they froze in their tanks. The damage is analogous to someone shredding your inner ear.”

The researchers point out these animals aren’t particularly reliant on sound, so if noise pollution affects them, it could be affecting the entire marine environment. But another scientist told Science Magazine there are a few holes in the study.

“For one, the paper presents little quantitative data to support its assertions. For another, the control animals weren't held in an aquarium before they were killed, like the experimental animals were. That leaves open the possibility that captivity, not noise, somehow injured the experimental animals, or that capture injured all of them, with the damage developing too slowly to be detected in the controls...”

So is sound itself a fatal pollution? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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