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☆ China’s spectacular dragon dance is hundreds of years old. Here’s why it continues to dazzle
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Grab your camera and slap on something flame resistant, it’s time to witness one of China’s most incredible displays – the fire dragon dance. Dragon dances have been documented at ceremonial events since the Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE), while fire dragon dances began appearing in records during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and in the Republican era (1912-1949). Some historians say fire dragon dances date back even further, to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Puzhai Fire Dragon, Fengshun County, GuangdongEntertainers perform a fire dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Puzhai town, in China's Guangdong province. Tongliang Fire Dragon, ChongqingVideo Ad Feedback See a dragon dance with molten iron fireworks 00:56 - Source: CNNThe Tongliang Fire Dragon in Chongqing province is undoubtedly one of the grandest fire dragon dance performances of them all.

Persons: ”, Kwok Kam Chau, Kwok, We’ve, Liu Long Organizations: CNN, Republican, Hong Kong Baptist University, China’s, Steel Locations: Fengshun County, Guangdong, Puzhai, China's Guangdong province, Imaginechina, China, Hunan, China’s, Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan province, Huanglongxi, Sichuan, Chengdu, China's Sichuan province, Chongqing, Chongqing province, majestically, Qicaimeng, Guizhou, Dafang County, Guizhou province

☆ Raven Chacon’s Sound-and-Art Symphony
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Holland Cotter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A single work of art can get into your system and stay there. I’ve been living with — haunted by — one by the Navajo composer and sound artist Raven Chacon since encountering it in the 2022 Whitney Biennial. Titled “Silent Choir (Standing Rock),” it had no visual element. Even then, the only sound was the rustle of breathing, of bodies shifting and of the high-up buzz of surveillance helicopters. The same year as the Biennial, Chacon was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for music for a different, more traditionally “musical” piece, “Voiceless Mass” (2021).

Persons: I’ve, Raven Chacon, Chacon, John the Evangelist Organizations: Navajo, Access Pipeline, Roman Catholic Cathedral Locations: St, Milwaukee

☆ Iceland Is Living in our Future
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

I spent the first half of this week reporting in Iceland, and I came away convinced that the country provides a window into our collective future in at least three important ways. Iceland uses remarkably few fossil fuels to power its economy and heat its homes. Instead, 85 percent of the country’s energy comes from domestically produced renewables, primarily geothermal power and hydropower. Iceland can claim such a high percentage of renewables, the most of any country in the world, thanks to its unique geology. Just this morning, an active volcano began erupting in a town I visited only a few days ago.

Locations: Iceland

☆ I'm a travel expert and often travel with my family. These 5 romantic destinations are surprisingly great for families.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Taryn White | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In fact, the world is brimming with destinations that effortlessly cater to both lovebirds and jet-setting families, merging fine dining, lavish lodging, and kid-approved activities. Go adventuring in St. LuciaSt. Lucia holds a special place in my family's hearts, as one of our first international destinations. Taryn White says that while CrossKeys Vineyard is great for couples, families with kids can also enjoy the atmosphere. Courtesy The Trip Wish ListFor those seeking a luxurious family retreat, there are many options, like Salamander Middleburg in Loudoun County. It also has family suites complete with bunk beds or twin beds, ensuring that everyone has plenty of space to unwind after a day of sightseeing.

Persons: —, I've, Lucia St, Lucia, Bean, there's, Walsh, Taryn White, CrossKeys, Paris isn't, Gigi, Angelina Organizations: Service, des Pitons, Gros, Petit, Resorts, Aurora, Aurora Entertainment, Virginia Wine, Veritas, Keswick Hall, Michelin, Jardin du, Jardin des, Louvre Museum, Fish Locations: Maldives, French Polynesia, Caribbean, St, Sulphur Springs, New Jerusalem, Morne, des, Anguilla, Little Bay, Sandy Islands, Zemi, Aurora, Morais, Salamander Middleburg, Loudoun County, Albemarle County, Clifton, Paris, Jardin, Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin des Tuileries, Hana, Makena

Under cover of darkness a year ago Friday, someone breached a waist-high fence and slipped into the Central Park Zoo. The break-in happened steps from the shared headquarters of the New York City Parks Department and the Central Park Zoo, in the vicinity of at least one surveillance camera. Since the zoo suspended efforts to re-capture Flaco in February 2023, there has been no public information about the crime. In 2021, another beloved Central Park owl, Barry, was fatally struck by a truck after ingesting a lethal dose of rat poison that may have impaired her flying. He’s also lucky.”Flaco spent his initial months of freedom mostly in Central Park, which is loaded with wildlife, but has lately preferred more urban sections of Manhattan.

Persons: Flaco, hadn't, ”, Jacqueline Emery, “, Max Pulsinelli, Nicole Barrantes, Jerry Vlasak, we’re, Barry, Suzanne Shoemaker, “ He’s, He’s, ” Flaco, David Barrett, Barrett, “ It’s, “ We’re Organizations: Central, Zoo, Fifth, New York City Parks Department, Central Park Zoo, Parks Department, North American Animal Liberation Press Office, Wildlife Conservation Society, Manhattan Locations: York, Maryland, Central Park, Manhattan, North America

Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has passed away at age 42. That preference continued when she came to the institute; she showed no interest in breeding and even attacked male crane suitors. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesBut white-naped cranes are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. And as the offspring of two wild-caught cranes, Walnut’s genes were not represented in U.S. zoos. Once Crowe had gained her trust, he was able to artificially inseminate her using sperm from a male crane.

Persons: Chris Crowe, Walnut, ” Crowe, “ I’ll, Chris, Crowe Organizations: WASHINGTON, Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, International Crane Foundation, International Union for Conservation of Nature . Locations: Front Royal , Virginia, U.S, Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan, China, Wisconsin

☆ TikTok's Lunden and Olivia Stallings are straight people's favorite lesbian couple. What do they owe queer fans?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Kate Taylor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Lunden and Olivia told me their mission as influencers was to "represent and inspire others to be their authentic self." Advertisement"I did feel represented by them," Asia said, but the tweets "showed me that they are still white women." "We are especially confident in our sexuality and the way that we feel and who we are," Olivia told me. Lunden and Olivia told me they want to advocate for all LGBTQ+ people, including those who don't look like them. It's a chance, the couple told me, to combat the hate and negativity LGBTQ+ parents face.

Persons: Lunden Stallings, Olivia Bennett, Monique Lhuillier, Lunden, Taylor Swift, Stallings, David Yurman, preppy, Olivia, TikTok, Kendrick Brinson, who's, you've, Madison Mathews, sunnies, peck, they'd, Brooklynites, Remington, Zeta Tau, Olivia DMed Lunden —, Justin Bieber, snapbacks, haven't, Lunden's, Ellie Goulding's, Olivia couldn't, Caroline Bayne, Lunden's TikTok, Zara, Mercedes, Sophie, It's, Jackie J, Jackie, There's, Bud Light, Dylan Mulvaney, influencers, They've, KenzKustomz, Krysten Stein, Black influencers, Stein, Hill, millennials Organizations: Naylor, People, Business, Alabama, Chevrolet, New York Post, Daily Mail, Madison, University of Central, Jacksonville State University, Zeta Tau Alpha, University of Alabama's, University, Minnesota, BI, Braves, Rover, Pride, Nielsen, Saks, University of Illinois Locations: Roswell , Georgia, Asia, Olivia, Charleston, LoveShackFancy, Powder Springs , Georgia, Atlanta, Blytheville , Arkansas, University of Central Arkansas, Alabama, Roswell, Austin, RushTok, Alpharetta, Charleston , South Carolina, Southern, Publix, Fayetteville , Arkansas, University of Illinois Chicago

☆ Naples: 2000 year-old Roman beach house discovered during building work
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Naples, Italy CNN —A three-year project to build a children’s playground and recreation area south of the Italian city of Naples has unearthed the ruins of a 2000-year-old clifftop beach house. Experts believe it could have once been the opulent residence of Pliny the Elder, the legendary author, naturalist, and commander of the Roman navy fleet stationed there. Courtesy Comune Di BacoliAs well as acting as a lookout point, Pliny’s beach villa would have also likely been used for leisure. On the beach neighboring the newly-discovered villa walls, a large brick ruin had been dubbed the “talking wall” by local residents as, in their view, it proved the one-time existence of a large residence. “The ruins of the Roman villa will be cleaned and cordoned-off with wooden fences,” said Bacoli’s mayor Josi Gerardo Della Ragione.

Persons: Italy CNN —, Pliny the Elder, Bacoli, Simona Formola, “, ”, Formola, tufa, Josi Gerardo Della Ragione Organizations: Italy CNN, Roman, CNN, ” Locations: Naples, Italy, Italian, Ischia, Procida, Bacoli, Misenum, Roman, Vesuvius

☆ Malaysia’s last tigers: Why this rare image is giving conservationists hope
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“This image is the last image of the Malayan tiger — or it’s the first image of the return of the Malayan tiger,” he says. ‘A million-dollar shot’Regular camera traps — like the hundreds already used by the park’s scientists, researchers and conservationists — are typically the size of a large smartphone and activated by broad-range motion sensors. Rondeau's high-resolution camera traps included a DSLR camera in a waterproof casing. Emmanuel Rondeau, wildlife photographerBut there’s still more work to be done. As a keystone species, tigers are essential to a healthy ecosystem – and without them, the 130-million-year-old rainforests around the Belum-Temengor complex could be threatened, too.

Persons: CNN — Emmanuel Rondeau, “, ”, Rondeau, ” Rondeau, ‘, —, I’m, ” Rondeau didn’t, ‘ I’m, Carol Debra, Azlan Mohamed, Mohamed, Debra, Emmanuel Rondeau, Stuart Chapman, Chapman, ” Stuart Chapman, Merapi Mat Razi, there’s Organizations: CNN, WWF, Peninsular Malaysia, Malayan, Malaysia, Malaysia WWF, Malaysia —, country’s, “ Tigers, US, Malayan Tiger Conservation, Tiger, WWF’s Tigers, Initiative, Tigers, WWF – Malaysia, Royal, United Nations, Conservation Task Force, Bureau Locations: Asia, Siberia, Bhutan, Malaysia, Peninsular, Southeast Asia, Belum, Asli, “, Royal Belum, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Park

☆ Close-up Photographer of the Year: Images show the hidden wonders of nature
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Mesmerizing photos of ants firing acid, a shrimp floating over a rainbow-colored mosaic sea star, and a butterfly peering in at a wedding party are among the winning images of the Close-up Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. The contest, in its fifth year, celebrates micro and macro photography, striving to show the hidden wonders of the natural world, from microscopic fungi to majestic animals. Micro is the term used for taking photos of tiny subjects that require magnification, while macro involves capturing close-up images of larger subjects. The title of young close-up photographer of the year went to 17-year-old Spaniard Carlos Pérez Naval for his image of a Moorish gecko on a wall covered with pyrolusite crystals. While many other photo awards feature close-up categories, they believed there was a need for an entire competition dedicated to macro and micro photography.

Persons: Tracy Calder, ”, Csaba Daróczi, Carlos Pérez, “, –, Calder, Daniel, “ There’s Organizations: CNN Locations: Hungarian, Calamacha, Spain

☆ I earned a Guinness World Record for visiting all 193 countries alone. Here are my picks for 11 most beautiful countries in the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Cassandra De Pecol | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

I cleared the record for "fastest time to visit all sovereign countries" and "fastest time to visit all sovereign countries (female)." These are my picks for the 11 most beautiful countries I've been to. South AfricaCape Town, South Africa where De Pecol ran her Iron man. UCGOver the last 10 years, I've been lucky enough to travel to South Africa for various reasons: a race, a convention, and my 196-country expedition. The very first time I visited Africa, the Cape of Good Hope,(located along the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa), was the first bit of awe I'd experienced.

Persons: Cassandra De Pecol, —, Guinness, I'm, I'd, Switzerland De Pecol, that's, De Pecol, benedek, I've, Dominica De, United States De Pecol, Matthew Micah Wright, it's, Pecol, Carl Court, It's, Costa Rica De Pecol, Peru De Pecol, Jorge Fernández, Jordan De Pecol, Jordan, Good Hope Organizations: Guinness, Records, Service, World Records, Rockies, Costa Rica De, Puerto, New Zealand, UNESCO, South Africa Cape Locations: Canada, Taiwan, Kosovo, Palestine, Mongolia, Pecol, Russian, Switzerland, AscentXmedia Switzerland, Banff, Toronto, Quebec, Vancouver, Alberta, Dominica, Dominica De Pecol, Bahamas, St, Lucia, United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, Vermont, Colorado, Arizona , California, Utah, Maldives, Costa Rica, Puerto Limon, Papagayo, Guanacaste, Peru, Machu Picchu, CAROLINA PAUCAR Peru, Picchu, New, New Zealand, Auckland, Queenstown, Jordan, Petra, Wadi Rum, South Africa, South Africa Cape Town , South Africa, Cape Town, Africa, Good

☆ Dwindling fish stocks hit incomes in Cambodia, prey to climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A general view of a floating fishing village near Kampong Phluk at Tonle Sap Lake, in Siem Reap, Cambodia November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Chantha Lach Acquire Licensing RightsKAMPONG PHLUK, Cambodia, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Fisherman Siem Huat has seen fish stocks dwindle in recent years in Cambodia's majestic Tonle Sap Lake, and with them, his family's sole source of income. "Sometimes there is rainfall in the wrong months or it gets so hot I can't go out to fish," said the 45-year-old Siem Huat, as he navigated his boat through mangroves to pull in nets carrying disappointingly few fish. The Mekong River typically swells in the rainy season as it converges with Cambodia's Tonle Sap River, sending an unusual reversed flow into the Tonle Sap Lake that fills up the latter and spawns bountiful fish stocks. Reporting by Chantha Lach, Napat Wesshasartar; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Clarence FrenandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chantha Lach, Siem, Napat, Kanupriya Kapoor, Clarence Frenandez Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Kampong Phluk, Tonle Sap, Siem Reap, Cambodia, PHLUK, Asia's, Sap, Dubai

☆ All the 'Virgin River' books, in order
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Esme Mazzeo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

While waiting for season six, here's the full list of books in the "Virgin River" series and the correct order to read them in. "Virgin River" (2007)"Virgin River" HarperCollins"Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. "A Virgin River Christmas" (2008)"A Virgin River Christmas" HarperCollins"Last Christmas Marcie Sullivan said a final goodbye to her husband, Bobby. But the Sheridan and Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie and for Christmas, Virgin River style!" "Return to Virgin River" (2020)"Return to Virgin River."

Persons: —, Robyn Carr, Melinda Monroe, she's, Mel, …, Sheridan, John, Middleton, Paige Lassiter, Semper Fidelis —, it's, Brie Sheridan, Mike Valenzuela, Virgin River's, Mike, Brie, Marcie Sullivan, Bobby, Ian Buchanan, Bobby's, Ian, Marcie, Ian doesn't, Virgin River, Vanessa Rutledge, Vanessa, Matt, Paul Haggerty, he's, Matt's, Paul, Shelby McIntyre, Luke Riordan, Shelby, Luke, Rick Sudder, Iraq —, Rick, Dan Brady, they'd, Nathaniel Jensen, Annie McCarty, Noah Kincaid, Noah, Ellie Baldwin, Ellie, Franci Duncan, Sean Riordan, Sean, — he's, Franci, Rosie, Erin Foley, Erin, Aiden Riordan, journaling, there's, Drew Foley, Sunny Archer, Sunny, Drew, Clay Tahoma, Lilly Yazhi, Lilly, There's, Clay, HarperCollins, Colin Riordan, Jillian Matlock, Jillian, Colin, Kelly, Kelly's, Lief Holbrook, Courtney, Becca Timm, Denny Cutler, Denny, Becca, Connor Danson, Leslie Petruso didn't, Connor, Leslie, Katie Malone, Katie doesn't, Dylan Childress, Dylan, Katie, Nora Crane, they've, harvesttime, Tom Cavanaugh, Nora doesn't, Nora, She's, Tom won't, Riordan, Patrick, Angie LeCroix, Jack Sheridan, she'd, Patrick Riordan, Angie, Kaylee Organizations: Netflix, Service, HarperCollins, California, Virgin, Virgin River, eBay, Bar, Marines, redwoods Locations: California, Virgin River, Virgin, Sacramento, Fallujah, Vanni, Paradise, Iraq, Los Angeles, —, Jill's, San Francisco, LA, Kelly's, Redwood, Southern California

☆ Mica Ertegun, Glamorous Interior Designer and Philanthropist, Dies at 97
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Robert D. Mcfadden | More About Robert D. Mcfadden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In 2015, her $9 million gift created an atrium for Jazz at Lincoln Center. In recognition of that gift, she was named grand commander of the Holy Sepulcher by the patriarch of Jerusalem. Her $41 million gift for humanities scholarships at the University of Oxford in 2012 was the largest of its kind in Oxford’s 900 years. Amid Allied air raids, Mica, as her German nurse called her, was sent to the family’s country estate. Others paid their fares to Paris, where Mica got modeling jobs to support them.

Persons: Mr, Ertegun, Christ, Jerusalem, Queen Elizabeth II, “, Ahmet, Mrs, ” Mica Ertegun, Ioana Maria Banu, Natalia Gologan, Gheorghe Banu, King Carol II, King Michael I, Hitler, Mica, Stefan Grecianu, Friends Organizations: Jazz, Lincoln Center, University of Oxford, Communist Locations: Manhattan, Jerusalem, American, British, Bucharest, Romania, Mica, Zurich, Swiss, Paris, Canada, Lake Ontario

☆ Cape Town’s ‘urban’ baboons: How to live with our primate cousins
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —More than half of the world’s population live in urban areas where nature can feel like a distant concern. Thriving ecosystems do, however, exist within our cities — even beneath our feet — and embracing urban nature can be a powerful force for change. Cape Town’s baboons can often be found rummaging through garbage cans and around backyards, putting them at greater risk of conflict with humans. Easy access to food from Cape Town’s trash means baboons spend less time and energy foraging, and more on socializing with potential mates and the rest of their group. The city has begun taking proactive measures to keep them away from Cape Town’s outskirts and in their natural hillside habitat.

Persons: CNN —, Corey Arnold, denning, Lawrence Hylton, Neil Zeller, Gizem, Harvard University’s, Mary Cleave, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Southern, DreamWorks, Gizem Gumuskaya Tufts University Scientists, Tufts University, Harvard, Harvard University’s Wyss, NASA, Challenger, Tasmanian, CNN Space, Science Locations: West London, city’s, Cape Town , South Africa, backyards, Cape Town’s, California, Hong, New Territories, Shing Mun, Canadian, Guatemala

☆ Kendrick Lamar Buys a Penthouse on the Brooklyn Waterfront
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Vivian Marino | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The rapper Kendrick Lamar is the latest celebrity to descend on Brooklyn, with his purchase of a sprawling duplex penthouse near the waterfront in Brooklyn Heights. His new pied-à-terre, which comes with stunning East River views, is at Pierhouse at Brooklyn Bridge Park, a 106-unit condominium built in 2015 at 90 Furman Street. He paid $8.6 million, using the limited liability company Dogg Pound Buildings. The apartment at the Majestic, at 115 Central Park West, closed at $20.5 million, well below the $50 million initial asking price in 2012 and the $25 million she had paid for it in 2006. Still, the sale was among the top closings in New York City in November.

Persons: Kendrick Lamar, Lamar, Zendaya, Amy Schumer, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Bjarke Ingels, Susan Weber, George Soros Organizations: Furman, Pound, Park Locations: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Pierhouse, California, Danish, Manhattan, New York City

PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Rosalynn Carter will receive her final farewells Wednesday in the same tiny town where she was born and that served as a home base as she and her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, climbed to the White House and spent four decades thereafter as global humanitarians. Coming from that town of about 600 — then and now — Rosalynn Carter became a global figure whose “effort changed lives,” her grandson said. But there is a wooden cross that Jimmy Carter fashioned in his woodshop and offering plates that he turned on his lathe. Church members, who are included in the invitation-only congregation, rarely talk of ”President Carter” or “Mrs. Her hearse will pass Plains Methodist Church where she married young Navy Lt. Jimmy Carter in 1946.

Persons: — Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, ”, Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter's, Rosalynn, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Carter ”, Mrs, Carter, Mr, Jimmy ” Organizations: White, Maranatha Baptist Church, The Carter Center, Glenn Memorial Church, Maranatha, Methodist, Secret Service Locations: Ga, Plains, Americus, Atlanta, America, U.S, Methodist Church, American

☆ Opinion | Why We Should Bring Back the Buffalo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Dayton Duncan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But that heartbreaking tale has another chapter, too, that shows how Americans can change direction and pull back from the brink. Today, more than 350,000 bison can be found in the United States — a notable success, but really just a start. Most of today’s bison are being raised as livestock, confined like cattle, fattened in feedlots and trucked to commercial slaughterhouses. Meanwhile, some ranchers and nonprofit environmental organizations are trying to provide buffalo with something closer to the habitats they once knew: more room to roam and native grasses to eat. Under those conditions, the bison can reclaim their former role as the “keystone” species of the prairies, improving conditions for all other species to thrive.

Persons: Lewis, Clark, Meriwether Lewis Locations: North Dakota, Montana, United States, fattened, feedlots

Fans have been tracking the young male moose for weeks and posting updates on a Facebook page that as of Tuesday had more than 18,000 followers. Todd Froberg, the agency's big game program coordinator, said the young moose is likely looking for home territory or other moose and is expected to continue moving north. “He’s lost, and he’s trying to get home to his family,” said Bernie Stang, a moose fan who spotted the animal in late October. She suspects Rutt traveled from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa before coming back to Minnesota, based on news reports of moose sightings in South Dakota that match his description. Johnson said she created the Central MN Moose on the Loose Facebook page in 2018 to track another moose whose life tragically ended when it was fatally struck by a semi while crossing a highway.

Persons: Bear, ”, Todd Froberg, “ He’s, Bernie Stang, Brenda Johnson, Rutt, Johnson, Danielle Magnuson, “, ” Magnuson, “ They're, ” Stang, Holly Stang Organizations: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Star Tribune, Moose Locations: Minnesota, Minneapolis, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Sauk Centre

☆ What Is Photography? (No Need to Answer That.)
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Emily Labarge | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A sequence of “Diorama” photographs, begun shortly after Sugimoto arrived in New York in 1974, capture scenes from the American Museum of Natural History with otherworldly precision. Using an old, large-format camera, long exposure times and elaborately tuned lighting, Sugimoto enhanced both the artifice and the verisimilitude of the institution’s taxidermy wildlife tableaus behind glass. “Polar Bear” (1976) shows the majestic white animal roaring over a fresh kill: the bloodied body of a seal whose inert form is bulky and dark against an Arctic white background that stretches into the distance. Look closely and behind the bear — with its luscious coat of fur, its big paws so heavy in the snow you can almost hear it crunch — the line between two and three dimensions is just visible: a jagged crevasse in the ice floe beneath the two animals merges almost seamlessly with a painted backdrop of receding icy peaks.

Persons: Sugimoto Organizations: American Museum of Locations: New York

☆ Residential cruise ship startups selling condos at sea for over $100,000 are struggling for the same reason
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Brittany Chang | Kate Taylor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Throughout 2023, residential cruise ship startups have delayed their launches. AdvertisementBuzzy residential cruise ship startups like Storylines can't seem to stick to their timelines. But even it has faced roadblocks: Launched in 2002, residents had to pool $71 million to buy the $280 million ship themselves in 2003. AdvertisementStorylines is a prime exampleStorylines delayed the construction of its MV Narrative residential ship at least twice. Building a new ship is hard – but so is acquiring an old oneVictoria Cruises Line chartered its residential ship of choice.

Persons: —, Alister Punton, Brodosplit, Punton, Mike Kasperzak, Fares, Mikael Petterson Organizations: Service, Cruises Line, Residences, Brodosplit, Victoria Cruises Line, Victoria Cruises, Holland America Line's, Sea Cruises, Cruises, Miray Cruises, Villa Vie Residences Locations: Croatian

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The tiny Caribbean island of Dominica is creating the world’s first marine protected area for one of earth’s largest animals: the endangered sperm whale. Sperm whales defecate near the surface because they shut down non-vital functions when they dive to depths of up to 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). And sperm whales in Dominica are believed to defecate more than whales elsewhere, said Shane Gero, a whale biologist and founder of the Dominica Sperm Whale Project, a research program focused on sperm whales in the eastern Caribbean. He noted that sperm whales are a matrilineal society, with young males leaving and switching oceans at some point in their lives. Another sperm whale was nicknamed “Fruit Salad” because a researcher happened to be snacking on that at the time.

Persons: “, Roosevelt Skerrit, Shane Gero, Gero, ” Gero, Vincent, ”, Enric Sala, ‘, ’ ” Gero, Margaret Atwood Organizations: JUAN, ”, Geographic Locations: Puerto Rico, Dominica, ” Dominica, St, Guadeloupe, Caribbean, ‘ I’m

☆ Opinion: Marjorie Taylor Greene botches the explanation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. CNN —On the day after Republicans lost pivotal races in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene offered a diagnosis for her party’s ills. On Tuesday, Ohio voters passed an amendment to the state constitution that guarantees abortion rights. The disconnect may or may not cost Trump votes in 2024, but it’s hurting Republicans up and down the ballot. “Democrats will win in 2024 by making the election a choice, not just a referendum on Biden’s performance in office.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, CNN’s Manu Raju, Donald Trump, Roe, Wade, Trump, ”, Kate Bedingfield, Joe Biden’s, Youngkin, ” Bill Bramhall, Bedingfield, They’ll, Julian Zelizer, Biden, ” Clay Jones, ” Clay Jones Republican Lanhee Chen, — don’t, Chen, “, ” Mary Ziegler, Davis, Republicans don’t, Comstock, Nikki Haley, Ana Marie Cox, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Dick Cheney, ’ Haley, Haley, Ramaswamy, ‘, Haley “, ” Patrick T, Brown, ” Roxanne Jones, DeSantis, Todd Graham, Bill Bramhall, Mary Ellen O’Connell, ” “, ” John Spencer, he’s, Al Qaeda, Peter Bergen, Israel, Hani Almadhoun, Suzanne Nossel, Frida Ghitis, Walt Handlesman, Ivanka Trump, Elliot Williams, Letitia James, Williams, ” Williams, Nick Anderson, Ian Berry, Bob Dylan, Anna Lee, I’d, William, I’ll, Bethany McLean, Joe Nocera, Dr, Kent Sepkowitz, ” Sepkowitz, ” Don’t, Corey Mintz, DoorDash, Paul Rieckhoff, Jill Filipovic, Shannon Watts, Jade McGlynn, Keith Magee, King Charles, Sara Stewart, Priscilla ’, Barbra Streisand, CHANEL, Presley Ann, Patrick McMullan, Holly Thomas, James Brolin, Barbra’s, Thomas Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Trump, “, White House, State Senate, Biden, ” Clay Jones Republican, University of California, Department of Justice, Florida Gov, Republican, Senate, Content Agency Israel, Hamas, University of Notre Dame, Modern War, Twitter, Facebook, ISIS, Content Agency Trump, New York, Trump Organization, “ Trump, —, Tribune, Agency, College of, Getty, BBC Locations: Kentucky , Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, “, Mexico, Ohio, State, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida, Miami, Hialeah , Florida, Trump, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, West, Mosul, Raqqa, Manhattan, New York City, Ukraine, Malibu , California, Greenwich Village

(AP) — Astronaut Frank Borman, who commanded Apollo 8's historic Christmas 1968 flight that circled the moon 10 times and paved the way for the lunar landing the next year, has died. Borman also led troubled Eastern Airlines in the 1970s and early '80s after leaving the astronaut corps. He and his crew, James Lovell and William Anders, were the first Apollo mission to fly to the moon — and to see Earth as a distant sphere in space. Astronaut Frank Borman was a true American hero,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement Thursday. In his book, "Countdown: An Autobiography," Borman said Apollo 8 was originally supposed to orbit Earth.

Persons: Frank Borman, Borman, James Lovell, William Anders, Bill Nelson, Susan, ”, God, ” Lovell, —, ” Borman, Anders Organizations: NASA, Eastern Airlines, Gemini, Associated Press Locations: Mont, Billings , Montana, Florida’s Cape Canaveral

☆ French Nuns and Climate Activists Square Off Over Plans for a Megachurch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Emma Bubola | More About Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When climate activists protesting the building of a huge church complex in a natural park in the South of France scaled the construction site, the nuns gave chase. One sister grabbed an environmentalist climbing an excavator, but lost her grip and fell rolling into a pit. Two other nuns tried to hold down a protester, who shook loose. Sister Benoîte raced and tackled a running activist — and pushed him inside a ditch. “They lost,” said Sister Gaetane, who had also grabbed a protester.

Persons: Benoîte, —, ”, Gaetane, “ Locations: South, France

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