New York Times gift articles

(sorry, couldn't help but point out the religion this guy puts front and center)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday renewed his threat to attack Iran’s electrical infrastructure if the cease-fire between Washington and Tehran failed.

“Our forces are maximally postured to restart combat operations should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal,” Mr. Hegseth said during a briefing to reporters at the Pentagon. “We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation and on your energy industry.”

[...]

The defense secretary also called out journalists who are reporting on the war, comparing them to the Pharisees who criticized Jesus of Nazareth for performing miracles.

“The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation,” Mr. Hegseth said, “only looking for the negative.”

He then referred to the rescue of two downed F-15 aircrew members in Iran over Easter weekend as “miracles.”

The move was a victory for a Chilean company that wants to build a copper and nickel mine, which environmentalists say could devastate fragile lakes and forests.

Also, a statement from EarthJustice

In a setback for federal efforts to thwart climate litigation, the judge ruled that the suit, which tried to block the state from suing oil companies, was too speculative.

Defending the convictions would likely have required administration officials to assert that far-right groups were acting on behalf of President Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.

The $1 billion project will run for about 23 miles under Raritan Bay in New Jersey and New York Harbor. Environmental groups oppose it.

Many coastal towns along the West Coast can’t afford to build lifesaving structures in the event of surging waves, putting homes and residents in jeopardy.

Why Some Birds Seem to Be Developing a Cigarette Habit

Research from Poland adds to evidence from Latin American countries that compounds in used cigarette butts ward off parasites in bird nests.

Darwin’s finches in the Galápagos, house finches in Mexico and song thrushes in New Zealand have all developed a curious habit: They put cigarette butts in their nests. Some songbirds in Britain are even nesting in outdoor ashtrays.

A new study adds evidence for why urban birds have picked up this preference, at least in one species: The toxins in tobacco may keep parasites at bay in the nests of blue tits, colorful birds that are found across Europe.

Cigarette butts contain about 4,000 chemical compounds, including nicotine, arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. These compounds could ward off pests that harm birds and their offspring. The study was published this year in the journal Animal Behaviour.

The California lawmaker said in a social media post Monday that he would quit. He has denied accounts of abusing women.

Appealing the dismissal of their suit, they argued that executive orders to promote fossil fuels endangered their futures and violated their constitutional rights.

Leading scientists have rejected claims like Mr. Bessent’s, and noted that natural factors like the sun, volcanic eruptions and orbital cycles would be cooling the earth if not for human activity. Instead, about 200 years ago, after the start of the Industrial Revolution, the direction of global temperatures reversed and began rapidly warming.

...

Average global temperatures are expected to rise 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels within the next decade. That would unleash dire impacts that include increased and more intense heat waves and heavy precipitation, melting of the world’s glaciers and ice sheets and a higher risk of severe wildfires.

As the president threatens to wipe out Iran and attacks the pope, even some former allies and advisers are questioning whether he has grown increasingly unbalanced, describing him as “lunatic” and “clearly insane.”

All six board members that oversee the national historic landmark were terminated, part of the administration’s efforts to reshape the federal bureaucracy.

This is potentially an effort to create a 'network state' city on the former military base.

The animals might be entering the Bay in search of food as climate change disrupts traditional sources. They face huge risks from ships in the area.