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☆ Russia is changing tactics to try to capture the city of Avdiivka and plans to fight through it 'block-by-block,' ISW says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian forces may be trying to make tactical gains by brute force, as they did in the bloody battle of Bakhmut, per the ISW. Future fighting in the city will likely resemble other instances of urban warfare in Ukraine, where Russian forces conducted attritional assaults for marginal gains, the ISW said. Ukrainian counter-attacks are holding Russian forces back, and the UK Ministry of Defence said the city will likely remain in Ukrainian control over the coming weeks. Ukrainian forces' main supply route remains intact, and they are conducting local counter-attacks against Russian troops, too, the UK said. Russian forces are reportedly attempting to bypass Ukrainian fortifications by trying to enter the city's edges using service tunnels.

Persons: —, Major Maxim Morozov Organizations: Service, Business, UK Ministry of Defense, of Internal, intel, Russian, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Avdiivka, Russia, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Ukraine

☆ Bipartisan infrastructure law: 5 projects that got money
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Katie Lobosco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —More than 40,000 projects have received federal funding from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden two yeas ago. Replacing an aging bridge over the Wisconsin RiverThe I-39/90/94 bridge, which crosses the Wisconsin River, is set to be replaced. Earlier this year, the project received $25 million from the infrastructure law. The Susquehanna River Bridge in Maryland and the Connecticut River Bridge – both of which are more than 100 years old – will also be replaced. The infrastructure law allocated $22 billion to Amtrak directly, some of which is being used to replace its fleet of more than 1,000 railcars and locomotives.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Joe Biden, hasn’t, Biden, –, Bauer, Griffin, Michael M, Sandy, Washington’s Howard, Hanson, Howard, Dean Rutz, it’s, Alexander L, Bullock Organizations: Washington CNN, Boston Logan International, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Wisconsin DOT, Park City , Utah Park City, Historic District, AaronP, Getty, Amtrak, Maryland Area, Seattle Times, US Army Corps of Engineers, Tacoma, Puget Sound Locations: Ohio, Wisconsin, Columbia County, Milwaukee, Chicago, Madison, Park City , Utah, Park City, Utah, Kimball, Hudson, New York City, Boston, Washington, New Jersey, Manhattan, Maryland, Baltimore, Potomac, Susquehanna, Connecticut, Hanson, East King County , Washington, Columbia, Washington and Oregon, Howard, Seattle

☆ An orca pod has been harassing and killing porpoises for decades — but they don't eat them. Scientists still don't know why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But oddly enough, the killer whales don't eat the animals. Orcas are killing porpoises but not eating themFrom 1962 to 2020, researchers recorded and studied 78 episodes of Southern Resident Killer Whales harassing and, in many cases, killing multiple types of porpoises. They lead the majority of their lives in a group setting, in pods of up to 20 other killer whales, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The orcas' choice not to eat the porpoises was consistent with what Marino had seen in her years in the field. And sometimes they show them how to do it and then they don't actually eat the animal," she said.

Persons: —, Eric Lowenbach, Lori Marino, Martin Ruegner, Marino, We've, orcas, Serge Melesean, Deborah Giles, Giles Organizations: Service, Southern, Mammal, British Columbia, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Newsweek Locations: Pacific, North Pacific, Washington , Oregon, British, Mayotte, France

☆ 9 orcas have died so far this year after they were trapped in fishery equipment off the coast of Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nine orcas have died after becoming entangled in fishing equipment off the Alaska coast this year. Only five orcas died from fishing equipment in the region between 2016 and 2020. From 2016 to 2020, meanwhile, just five orcas were caught and killed by fishing gear off the Alaska coast, NOAA reported. These orcas likely aren't members of the Southern Resident species, of which there were only 73 individuals left in 2022. Orcas made headlines throughout this summer, but for a very different reason: killer whales began ramming into boats off the coast of Spain and Portugal almost daily.

Persons: Hannah Myers, orcas, Orcas Organizations: Service, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Anchorage Daily, Southern Locations: Alaska, Wall, Silicon, Anchorage, Northern California , Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Spain, Portugal

☆ A herd of orphan elephants could be the key to bringing back the woolly mammoth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. But a key question is whether such animals could survive if they roamed the Arctic tundra as their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Eventually, the bonded herd will make its way into the wild, where its progress can be monitored for the next decade. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: paleobiologist Jordan Mallon, It’s, Esme Ashe, Jepson, Katie Jones, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s, “ Oppenheimer, ”, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Canadian Museum of Nature, University of Cambridge, Southern Resident, for Whale Research, Virgin Galactic’s, CNN Space, Science Locations: Botswana, China, Ottawa, Chile, Chicago . Wild, Pacific Northwest, North America

☆ Orca moms fiercely protect their sons from bullying and fights — but not their daughters, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Older orca mothers may protect their sons from bullying well into adulthood. Orca males carry fewer bite marks if their moms are alive in their old age, a study found. Moms may step in if their sons are in troubleTooth rake marks left behind on a Southern resident killer whale. David Ellifrit, Center for Whale ResearchThis new research, from the Universities of Exeter and York in the UK and the Center for Whale Research in Washington, suggests moms could be going even further for their sons. By protecting their sons, older females may be increasing the pod's chance of passing on its genes, while expending fewer resources.

Persons: Charli Grimes, Michael Weiss, Grimes, David Ellifrit, Darren Croft Organizations: Service, University of Exeter, Southern, for Whale Research, Center, , Research, Exeter University, for, Universities of Exeter, Center for Whale Research Locations: Wall, Silicon, synchrony, Southern, York, Washington

[1/5] A killer whale member of the Bigg's orca T65B pod is seen in the Salish Sea near Eastsound, Washington, U.S., July 7, 2023. While the interactions may be frightening, they have also spawned a popular social media trend that humorously suggests killer whales are rising up to attack wealthy yacht owners. Dr. Michael Weiss, research director of the Center for Whale Research, has another theory for the orcas’ behavior – it’s a fad. "We've seen killer whales do fad-like behavior, and other cetaceans have fads. In 1987, Washington’s Southern Resident orcas suddenly began wearing dead salmon on their heads, like hats.

Persons: Matt Mills McKnight, orcas, Deborah Giles, Giles, Olivia Hafey, Hafey, it's, Dr, Michael Weiss, Weiss, We're, Matt McKnight, Jane Ross, Mary Milliken, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Puget Sound, University of Washington’s, Harbor Laboratories, Southern, Center for Whale Research, Reuters, Washington’s, Thomson Locations: Eastsound , Washington , U.S, Matt Mills McKnight SEATTLE, . Washington, Portuguese, Washington’s San Juan Island, Seattle

☆ Why grandmother killer whales go through menopause
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The head of a killer whale pod shares her knowledge of the best hunting spots and more than half the fish she catches with her family members. Female orcas help their sons navigate the complexities of orca social life and protect them from fights with other killer whales. The center has been studying this critically endangered group of killer whales, which now number around 75, since 1976. “Males have the opportunity to mate with multiple females, and they do this outside of their own social group. Only humans and five species of toothed whales are known to experience menopause, the new study noted.

Persons: —, ”, Charli Grimes, David Ellifrit, Grimes, “, ” Grimes, Katie Jones, doesn’t, … Organizations: CNN, Southern Resident, Center for Whale Research, Centre for Research, UK’s University of Exeter, UK's University of Exeter, for, for Whale Research Locations: Pacific Northwest, North America, Harbor , Washington

☆ Starving Orcas and the Fate of Alaska’s Disappearing King Salmon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Julia O Malley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Some scientists say that even if the ocean were full of king salmon, the Southern Residents would still be in trouble. But the ocean won’t be full of king salmon. In the Pacific Northwest and California, wild salmon runs have been decimated by dams, agricultural pollution and hatchery programs that harmed stocks of wild fish. While the troller lawsuit makes its way through the appeals process, the Wild Fish Conservancy said it will encourage consumers to stop eating wild king salmon from Alaska’s troll fishery and petition to have many of that state’s king runs listed as endangered. Wild salmon survived for millenniums in rivers across the globe, through the earth’s warming and cooling cycles, but over the last few hundred years, they’ve disappeared from all but a few places on earth.

Persons: ”, Emma Helverson, they’ve Organizations: Southern Residents, Fish Conservancy, Alaska Department of Fish Locations: Pacific Northwest, California, Alaska

☆ Meet the family of orcas thought to be behind the recent boat encounters and attacks — White Gladis' pod
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

White Gladis, the orca believed to be behind recent boat encounters, has a family acting with her. Meet White Gladis' familyWhite Gladis is part of a 6-orca pod including herself, two siblings, two calves, and a mother. She gave birth to White Gladis in 2005, who is her oldest offspring, followed by Gladis Clara and Gladis Dalila. White Gladis went on to give birth to Gladis Filabres in 2015 and Gladis Tarik in 2021. Gladis Clara, White Gladis' sibling, is a male orca, but the sex is unknown for Gladis Dalila and White Gladis' two offspring.

Persons: White Gladis, White, —, Gladis Blanca, Gladis Clara, Gladis, Gladis Filabres, Gladis Tarik, Gladis Lamari, hasn't, Gladis Dalila, Black, Gladis Peque, Gladis Isa, Gladis Matteo, Gray Gladis, Mónica, Kenneth C, Gladis Olvera Organizations: Service, Orca, Guardian, for Whale Research, Orca Working Locations: Gibraltar, Strait, Gibraltar White, orcas, Southern, Iberian

☆ Virtually every orca in an endangered North American group is suffering from mysterious skin lesions, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

There has been an increase in skin disease in Pacfic north-west killer whales, a new study found. There is a possible connection between the skin lesions and the declining condition of the orcas. The study found that 99% of the animals examined exhibited the skin disease. Southern Resident killer whale showing gray targets in saddle patch on October 18, 2014. This comes during a growing interest in orcas after increasing killer whale boat interactions in other waters.

Persons: —, Joe Gaydos, UC Davis, Joseph K Gaydos Organizations: Service, Privacy, PLOS ONE, UC, Center for Whale Research Locations: Pacfic, orcas, Southern, British Columbia, Washington

☆ Killer whales near Spain have sunk 3 sailboats. A lonely orca named Luna who got separated from his family 20 years ago also damaged boats — but scientists say he just wanted to play.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Killer whales near Spain and Portugal have sunk three sailboats in recent years. An orca name Luna that was damaging boats near Vancouver Island in the 2000s just wanted to play. A population of killer whales near Portugal and Spain's Iberian Peninsula first began having "disruptive" interactions with boats in 2020. However, the encounters reminded him of a young male orca named Luna that engaged in similar behavior with boats around 20 years ago. "Being a social animal, he got very lonely and became quite attached to boats," Trites said.

☆ 5 things you think you know about killer whales that are actually wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But killer whales, or orcas, are actually members of the dolphin family. Killer whales aren't whalesKiller whales are not actually whales, but dolphins. The name "killer" whale isn't from killing humansOrcas are not called killer whales because they're whales that kill humans. Killer whales don't eat just anything that comes their wayContrary to popular belief, orcas are actually pretty picky eaters. Though killer whales may be misunderstood, you definitely shouldn't get a closer look at them.

☆ If you see a killer whale, 'never enter the water.' What to do during an orca encounter, according to a whale expert.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A whale expert told Khaleej Times you should "never enter the water" if you see a killer whale. There was even one incident where killer whales sank a sailboat. Nigel Killeen / Contributor / Getty ImagesLuckily, there have never been any recorded fatal orca attacks on humans in the wild, Natoli told Khaleej Times. "Try not to approach them from the back or from the front, stay on their side instead," Natoli told Khaleej Times. By contrast, in the United Arab Emirates, Natoli told Khaleej Times that sightings are rare in the region, with only about one every year and a half.

☆ Orcas keep attacking sailboats, sometimes sinking them. Scientists are looking for answers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Joshua Zitser | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Orcas keep attacking sailboats off the coasts of Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. One sailor shared his encounter with killer whales, after a pod of orcas sank a boat last year. Orca attacks have sometimes immobilized sailboats, but local media said that, in this instance, it caused so much damage that the vessel started to sink. The passengers, who were sleeping at the time of the attack, were traveling from Lisbon to the Algarve, per the local media outlet Portugal Resident. And that number comes from a collaboration of scientists collecting reports, not from local media outlets.

☆ Killer whales moms spend more time with their sons than daughters, and it may be threatening their survival
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Southern Resident killer whales take care of their sons much longer than their daughters. Killer whale sons need their mom throughout their livesA Southern Resident killer whale and a calf. Among Southern Resident killer whales — a small population that spend the summer and fall off the coast of Washington state — daughters will learn pretty quickly how to fend for themselves. To care for their sons, moms have fewer babiesTwo Southern Resident killer whales. Southern Resident killer whales only feed on Chinook salmon, which is a tiny prey for a big lumbering male.

☆ Orca whales were discovered with a toilet paper chemical in their livers and skeletal muscles. It's just the 'tip of the iceberg' for one of the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The scientists also discovered PFAS — known as forever chemicals — in the bodies of the killer whales. The amount of 4NP found in the killer whales, which tended to be higher in the blood-rich liver tissues, reached exceptionally higher in one calf. "So we are here talking about contamination that is harmful to the environment and harmful to this species of killer whales." "And those females that are losing their calves are nutritionally deprived which of course works to increase the impacts of chemicals," Giles said. And scientists like Giles are continuing to pay attention to what other unknown chemicals killer whales may be holding in their bodies.

☆ Container ships are being asked to slow down near Seattle in order to protect endangered killer whales
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ships passing through the Puget Sound near Seattle are being asked to slow down to protect endangered orcas. A two-month trial aims to reduce the impact of underwater noise on local Southern Resident killer whales. The aim is to reduce the amount of noise, and therefore sound disturbance caused to the local population of Southern Resident orcas, also known as Southern Resident killer whales. Quiet Sound was launched in June 2021 with the aim of understanding and minimizing the impact of large container ships on Washington State's population of Southern Resident killer whales. There were just 74 Southern Resident killer whales remaining in the wild, as of December 2020, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

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