The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide nearly $3 million in technical and financial assistance for farmers and ranchers to help improve the health of bees, which play an important role in crop production. The funding is a focused investment to improve pollinator health and will be targeted in five Midwestern states, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Obama Administration Targets $3 Million for Bee Health
Texas Lake Welcomes Back Paddlefish Gone for Years
Deep beneath the surface of Texas’ only naturally formed lake there used to swim a massive, open-mouthed dinosaur-era fish with a long snout and prized caviar. Now, decades after the paddlefish was almost completely wiped out, it’s coming back to Caddo Lake.
Primitive-looking paddlefish, known for their elongated, spatula-like snouts, were at one time very abundant in many U.S. river systems, but populations have declined greatly due to over-harvesting (for their freshwater eggs), sedimentation and dam construction.
The species is protected from poaching by law over a large part of their range.
(READ the AP story in Deseret News)
Zero Poaching of Rhinos and Tigers in Nepal Last Year
On March 3, the Himalayan country of Nepal celebrated 365 days without a single case of rhino, elephant or tiger poaching. This is the second time that the country marked such a milestone after 2011.
“Nepal’s year of zero poaching is an example of what can be achieved when an entire nation makes stopping wildlife crime a priority in order to protect its natural heritage,” said Shubash Lohani, Deputy Director for WWF’s Eastern Himalaya Ecoregion program.
According to the BBC, about 37 rhinos were killed by poachers in Nepal in 2002, triggering grave concern worldwide. Their population dropped from an estimated 612 in 2000 to less than 375 in 2005.
Numbers have increased to more than 500 in the last eight years, since the series of anti-poaching measures were put in place by authorities.
The success represents integrated and sustained efforts, including intensive patrolling by rangers and the Nepal Army within protected areas; support from local community-based anti-poaching units; and enforcement agencies like the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police pooling information and resources, all in an effort to reduce wildlife crime.
(SOURCE: WWF – Photo by Michael Gunther for WWF)
Ellen’s Oscar Selfie Earns $3 Million for Charities
The Academy Award selfie shared around the world, which broke several Twitter records with its 3 million retweets, including President Barack Obama’s previous record, now has earned three million dollars for charity.
Host Ellen DeGeneres prominently used a Samsung phone to create the photo live on the air, at the same time as Samsung was an Academy Awards sponsor.
Although the company denied in a statement that it had any knowledge ahead of time regarding Ellen’s successful stunt using its phone, Samsung earned millions of dollars worth of priceless product placement as a result.
5 Tycoons Who Want to Close the Wealth Gap in the U.S.
As the middle class struggles to make gains and President Barack Obama strives to shine a spotlight on the issue of income inequality, an unlikely constituency is looking for ways to close the nation’s growing wealth gap: a handful of top U.S. business tycoons.
These advocates point to notions of fairness and admit to twinges of guilt, but the core concern driving all of them—left, right and libertarian—is a belief that the economy doesn’t function efficiently when the wealth gap is wide.
Five such advocates are investor Warren Buffett, Silicon Valley millionaire Ron Unz, Seattle venture capitalist Nick Hanauer, software pioneer Steve Silberstein and New York City media mogul Leo Hindery Jr.
(READ the AP Story from CNBC)
Photo via Flickr from Sal Falko – CC license
Chick-fil-A to Serve Antibiotic-free Chicken
Chick-fil-A announced in February the company’s plan to serve chicken raised without antibiotics in all the chain’s restaurants nationwide within five years.
Chick-fil-A consumer research indicated an interest in how food was made and where it is sourced, with particular interest in the use of antibiotics. As a result, the company has committed to partnering only with suppliers that raise chickens without antibiotics and requested that they work with the USDA to verify that none of the drugs were administered at any point.
The Oscars Pizza Guy Got $1000 Tip from Stars
The unsuspecting pizza delivery man who was called to the Academy Awards ceremony and dragged onstage by host Ellen DeGeneres, was given a $1000 tip for his services.
Edgar Martirosyan, an employee of Big Mama’s & Papa’s pizzeria brought three pies to the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and took home $1000 from Ellen, who passed around singer Pharrell Williams’ famous oversized hat during the live broadcast and collected $600 from stars like Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford (above).
Giant Snowman Brings Joy to Minnesota’s Nasty Winter
A Minnesota farmer thought as long as he was moving 4 feet of snow using heavy machinery, he might as well have some fun with it.
Greg Novak used all that snow to build a 50-foot snowman that was so large it needed a full-sized oil drum for a nose.
He named the giant figure ‘Granddaddy’, and positioned it to face the highway running alongside his farm in Gilman.
Spontaneous Praise Breaks Out for WWII Vet During 8K Race
A 95-year-old veteran in full dress uniform came outside on the street to encourage and cheer runners in an 8K race but the admiration was turned on himself when the athletes began spontaneously shaking his hand in a tribute for his military service.
San Jose reporter Julia Prodis Sulek happened to capture the scene on video as Joe Bell became inundated with runners wanting to shake his hand.
Landmark Civil Rights Case Upholds Right to Record Police
A federal judge in Indianapolis ruled that police officers who stopped Willie King while he was recording video of an arrest had violated his rights.
As part of a settlement in the federal civil rights case, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was ordered to institute a new policy prohibiting police officers from interfering with civilians who are recording their actions.
Ellen’s Star-Packed Oscar Selfie Breaks Twitter Record
In the midst of the Oscar ceremony last night, host Ellen DeGeneres grabbed a bunch of the greatest Hollywood actors out of their chairs for a cell phone photo, which became a selfie for the ages.
Posted from her phone, Ellen tweeted the photo and told the television audience to make it the most retweeted photo of all time.Traffic on Twitter skyrocketed, even crashing the company’s servers, and by the next morning the group selfie was shared nearly 2.6 million times.
8-Year-old Helps Pay Off Students’ School Lunch Debt
A super-sensitive Michigan elementary school student felt really sad when a child in the lunch line in front of him who had to put his tray down because he didn’t have enough money in his account.
After that experience, Cayden Taipalus decided to help raise money for the kids who could use a few extra bucks for their lunch account. He is returning cans to earn the recycling cash, and asking friends to donate.
After just two weeks, he has paid for 295 lunches!
The ‘Incredible’ Selfless Thing an 8-Year-Old Boy Did for a Soldier
After 8-year-old Myles Eckert found a twenty dollar bill in a restaurant parking lot last month, all he could think about was buying a new video game.
He changed his mind when he saw a man in uniform.
He wrote a note and gave it to Lt. Col. Frank Dailey.
Man Rescues Dying Dog From the Middle of a Busy Highway
When Rickey Young heard on the radio that there was a dog in the HOV lane on a Houston highway, he rushed over to help. Though the dog was frightened, Rickey was able to lure her to safety with a sandwich. She had broken bones and was bleeding, but this hero got her medical attention in time to save her life.
Australian Divers Save Choking Shark in Bold Rescue (WATCH)
Divers in Australia rescued a critically endangered grey nurse shark off the coast of Sydney that was being choked to death by a plastic cord wrapped around its gills.
With its head and gills tightly entangled in industrial strength elastic cord, the five-foot long (1.5m) juvenile shark was facing a slow and painful death, with the cord continually tightening as the young animal grew in size.
US Gives More Healthy Food Choices to Women, Infants and Children on WIC
Some 9 million poor women and young children who receive federal food assistance under the U.S. government’s so-called WIC program will have greater access to fruits, vegetables and whole grains under an overhaul of the program unveiled on Friday.
The expansion of allowable foods is the first change to the program in 34 years.
(READ the report from Reuters)
Thanks to Harley Hahn for submitting the link!
How Wolves Have Changed Yellowstone’s Rivers
When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States in the mid-1990s, after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable “trophic cascade” occurred, effecting hundreds of other species.
Gary Wockner, a wolf expert in Colorado explained, “Willows grew higher and spread more widely, beavers returned and made ponds, riparian-dwelling plants and animals returned including songbirds and trout, elk carrion fed scavengers such as grizzlies and ravens, and coyote populations dropped resulting in more ground squirrels and gophers which in turn fed hawks and eagles.”
Students Discover Math Teacher’s Secret Identity… As Baby Cuddler
With his short gray hair, watchful eyes, authoritative voice and stern manner, high school math teacher and Vietnam veteran Jim O’Connor is used to commanding respect in the classroom. So his students were surprised to learn about his nickname at the hospital where he volunteers: the baby whisperer.
O’Connor, who teaches algebra and calculus at St. Francis High School in La Cañada, Calif., a Catholic prep school for boys in suburban Los Angeles, takes a no-nonsense approach to schooling.
“They just stare at him adoringly and he can really just get the crabbiest baby to calm down. It’s amazing… He’s just a natural-born cuddler.”
(READ the full story at TODAY)
Thanks to everyone who submitted links to this story – Photo courtesy of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
How Invasive Plants at LAX Feed Giraffes and Elephants at L.A. Zoo
The bad news: Exotic acacia trees pose a pesky problem for native coastal dunes at Los Angeles International Airport. The good news: Giraffes like them — a lot.
Now a long-term partnership that began last fall between the airport and the L.A. Zoo keeps invasive species out of L.A.’s landfills and gives zoo animals a leafy treat.
(READ the story from the LA Times)
Photo credit: Roland H via Flickr, CC license
Man Hits $10 million Jackpot After Store Clerk’s Mistake
An upstate New York family toasted with champagne the $10 million Lottery ticket that almost slipped away.
Jerry Kajfasz, 53, of suburban Buffalo, said he initially gave back a very lucky “Win for Life Spectacular” scratchoff ticket when a store clerk handed him the more expensive $20 ticket by accident.
He had asked for seven scratchoffs, but the clerk gave him an eighth.
“I now call it the one that almost got away,” Kajfasz said Tuesday when he claimed his prize.
(READ the story from the NY Daily News)