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Hunters were once the greatest human threat to the countrys only unique wolf species. Today, its motorists. That fact was brought home last June, when red wolf breeding male No. 2444 was struck and killed on U.S. 64 near Manns Harbor, North Carolina. His death likely meant five pups he’d been providing for died, too. We were hoping the mother would return and resume care, but she never did, Joe Madison, head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s red wolf recovery program, said during a recent visit to the site. For decades, conservationists have pushed for changes to U.S. 64, a busy two-lane highway to the popular Outer Banks that runs straight through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refugeone of just two places in the world where red wolves run free. They may finally be getting their wish. In late December, the Federal Highway Administration awarded the first grants under a new $125 million Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. Unless the grants are somehow undone by President Donald Trump, part of the money will help state agencies and nonprofit groups rebuild a 2.5-mile section of the highway with fencing and a series of culverts, or small underpasses, to allow red wolvesas well as black bears, white-tailed deer, and other animalsto pass safely underneath traffic. When you build wildlife bridges or underpasses, you reduce human-wildlife conflict, said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who studies wildlife migrations but is not directly involved in the project. There is increasing awareness that reducing traffic collisions is smart for wildlife, smart for people too. Other agency grants will support new bridges and underpasses for mule deer in Idaho, pronghorn antelope in New Mexico, and cougars and bears in Oregon, among other projects. But whats notable about the U.S. 64 project is that the goal is twofold: reducing dangerous collisions and roadkilland saving a critically endangered species. There are thought to be fewer than 20 red wolves left in the wild; besides Alligator River, the other remaining habitat is in the nearby Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Madison calculates that No. 2444 represented 7% of the known wild red wolf population. So, every time you get a mortality, thats a significant hit, he said. Reducing roadkilland saving a species? Wildlife crossings have proliferated across the U.S. in the past 20 years with broad nonpartisan support. Most often, the objective is safety. One congressional report estimated that dangerous highway collisions with large animals kill hundreds of people and cost more than $8 billion each year. Researchers have learned a lot about what works for different species. Pronghorn dont want to go through tunnels or close spaces, so they avoid underpasses and need bridges, said Arthur Middleton, an ecologist who studies animal migration at the University of California, Berkeley. Whereas deer will go under or over. Gray wolves and coyotesand, presumably, red wolveswill also use underpasses, or culverts, of 6 or 8 feet in diameter. Fencing is critical to funnel the animals to the structures. Along U.S. 30 in Wyoming, seven small underpasses and fencing cut mule deer collisions by 81%. In Canada, a series of overpasses and underpasses along the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park reduced collisions with hooved animals by 94%. But whether wildlife crossings can help prevent extinctions is a harder question to answer. Conservation was always a part of the story, but now were seeing crossings increasingly pop up that have conservation as a primary rationale, said Ben Goldfarb, author of the book Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. Some of the most ambitious crossings for conservation have just been built, and it will take time to assess the results. Outside Los Angeles, a wildlife crossing over 10 lanes of U.S. 101 is expected to open in 2026. The primary aim is to help connect the habitat of mountain lions, which need to cross the freeway to find suitable mates. Inbreeding among mountain lions in the L.A. region has already led to genetic mutations and decreased fertility. In Brazils Rio de Janeiro state, construction of a wildlife bridge spanning BR 101 was finished in 2020, then native seedlings were planted in a soil bed. Once those trees mature, researchers will study if the target speciesan endangered monkey called a golden lion tamarinuses the bridge regularly. Experts say the trees are necessary for creatures like monkeys or sloths to move across the bridge. Species that scamper on the ground, including foxes, anteaters, and armadillos, are already crossing. Hope at the end of the tunnel underpass for red wolves? While its not certain that a wildlife crossing can save the last red wolves, scientists say that doing nothing will almost certainly hasten their demise. Canis rufus, often called America’s wolf, once roamed from central Texas to southern Iowa and as far east as Long Island, New York. After being declared extinct in the wild, red wolves were reintroduced in North Carolina in 1987. For about 20 years, the population grew steadily to reach around 120 animals. Then their numbers crashedwith vehicle collisions a primary culprit. One study found that vehicle strikes had killed about 5% of the red wolf population each year between their reintroduction and 2022. Marcel P. Huijser, a study coauthor and a research ecologist at Montana State Universitys Western Transportation Institute, warned that the cost of doing nothing, “including losing a wild species, can be far higher than the cost of implementing effective mitigation. In North Carolina, Fish and Wildlife biologists have tried other measures to prevent crasheslike flashing road signs and reflective collarswithout much success. Following No. 2444s death, conservation groups like the Wildlands Network and the Center for Biological Diversity pushed for another solution. In September, the North Carolina Department of Transportation submitted a grant application for the Red Wolf Essential Survival Crossings Under Evacuation Route, or RESCUER, project. Plans for the U.S. 64 wildlife crossing call for a series of underpass structuresseveral of them big enough for wolves and other large mammals to pass throughand the accompanying fencing. The exact number and size of the underpasses has yet to be determined, said Travis W. Wilson, eastern habitat conservation coordinator for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The estimated total cost for the project is about $31.5 million, including $4 million in private donations raised by conservation groups and an anonymous donors matching grant. This is one of the most important wildlife connectivity projects in the country, said Beth Pratt, founder of the nonprofit The Wildlife Crossing Fund, which raised funds for the project. Critically endangered red wolves will disappear if we do nothing. By Allen G. Breed and Christina Larson, Associated Press The Associated Presss Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. AP’s climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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E-Commerce
A push to ban sugary drinks, candy, and more from the U.S. program that helps low-income families pay for nutritious food has been tried beforebut it may soon get a boost from new Trump administration officials. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly confirmed health and human services secretary, and Brooke Rollins, the new agriculture secretary, have both signaled that they favor stripping such treats from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Kennedy has been most vocal, calling for the government to stop allowing the nearly $113 billion program that serves about 42 million Americans to use benefits to pay for soda or processed foods. The one place that I would say that we need to really change policy is the SNAP program and food stamps and in school lunches, Kennedy told Fox News host Laura Ingraham last week. There, the federal government in many cases is paying for it. And we shouldn’t be subsidizing people to eat poison. In one of her first interviews after being confirmed, Rollins said she looked forward to working with Kennedy on the issue. When a taxpayer is putting money into SNAP, are they okay with us using their tax dollars to feed really bad food and sugary drinks to children who perhaps need something more nutritious? Rollins said. These are all massive questions we’re going to be asking and working on in the coming months and years. But removing certain foods from SNAPknown for years as food stampsisn’t as simple as it sounds. The program is run by the USDA, not HHS, and is administered through individual states. It is authorized by the federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which says SNAP benefits can be used for any food or food product intended for human consumption, except alcohol, tobacco, and hot foods, including those prepared for immediate consumption. Excluding any foods would require Congress to change the lawor for states to get waivers that would let them restrict purchases, said Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research group. Over the past 20 years, lawmakers in several states have proposed stopping SNAP from paying for bottled water, soda, chips, ice cream, decorated cakes, and luxury meats like steak. None of those requests have ever been approved under either Republican or Democratic presidents, Bergh said. In the past, Agriculture Department officials rejected the waivers, saying in a 2007 paper that no clear standards exist to define foods as good or bad, or healthy or not healthy. In addition, the agency said restrictions would be difficult to implement, complicated, and costly. And they might not change recipients food purchases or reduce conditions such as obesity. Anti-hunger advocates point to research that shows SNAP recipients are no more likely than other low-income Americans to buy sugary drinks or snack foods. And they say that limiting food choices undermines the autonomy and dignity of people who receive, on average, about $187 per monthor about $6.16 per day, according to the latest figures. This is just another way to cut benefits, said Gina Plata-Nino, a deputy director at the Food Research and Action Center, a nonprofit advocacy group. It’s like, how do we restrict people more? How do we stigmatize them more? Bills are pending in Congress and in several states to restrict SNAP benefits from paying for soda, candy, and other items. Representative Josh Breechan, an Oklahoma Republican, sponsored the Healthy SNAP Act. If someone wants to buy junk food on their own dime, thats up to them, he said. But what were saying is, dont ask the taxpayer to pay for it and then also expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the resulting health consequences. One SNAP recipient said she uses her monthly $291 benefit to buy necessities such as meat, oil, milk, and coffee. Martina Santos, 66, of New York City, supplements those foods with fresh vegetables and fruits from a pantry run by the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, where she’s also a volunteer. Because she has diabetes and other health conditions, she said she understands the importance of using the benefits only for nutritious options. For me, SNAP is to be used toward healthy food to get people to avoid all the disease theyre having around right now: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, Santos said. In Kansas and elsewhere, bills that would ban soft drinks and candy highlight some of the challenges of such changes. Several pending bills seek to keep SNAP from paying for soft drinks, but they would continue to allow drinks containing milk, milk alternatives like soy or almond milk, or drinks with more than 50% vegetable or fruit juice. Candy is characterized as any unrefrigerated, flourless preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces. By that definition, Kit Kat and Twix bars, which contain flour, wouldn’t be banned. And juices that contain high amounts of sugar but are more than half fruit juice by volume would be allowed. Such conundrums have stymied changes to the SNAP program for decades. But this moment could be different, said Dr. Anand Parekh, chief medical officer of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. The momentum behind Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement could spur a new focus on solutions to poor diets that account for leading risk factors for early disease and death. When we talk about the SNAP program, we have to remind people that the N stands for nutrition, Parekh said. It’s about time that both parties can come together and see what are the innovations here to improve diet quality and nutrition. By Jonel Aleccia, AP health writer Associated Press video journalist Mary Conlon contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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E-Commerce
Frustration is a common emotion. It’s a close cousin to anger, because both deal with your reaction to an obstacle that is preventing you from achieving your goals. Where they differ is that anger is (usually) directed outward at an external obstacle. The energy and rage that anger generates may be useful for trying to influence that external obstacle physically. Frustration is often directed at an internal or systemic obstacle that you cant do much about. You may be frustrated because you dont have the capability or time to do something, or may feel like some aspect of your company (or society) prevents you from accomplishing a goal. But frustration is often unproductive, because it gets you energized around something you cant really fix. You may actually think less clearly if you get too energized and that might make it harder to move forward. Here are a few things you can do to handle frustration effectively, especially when it comes up in the workplace: Take a step back Research going back almost 120 years shows that there is a sweet spot for the amount of mental energy you need to operate effectively. When you have a low level of energy, you dont think effectively, because you’re simply not engaged with the situation. As you get more energized, you get more effective in your thinking up to a point. However, additional energy will actually create too much arousal. At that point, you have a hard time staying focused. A little frustration can be helpful, because it may actually get you to pay attention to something that might otherwise escape your notice. However, when a situation creates more extreme frustration, youre going to have trouble addressing it effectively. You need to develop strategies to dissipate that energy. Ideally, you would take a little time to disengage from the situation. Some physical activity can help. Taking a brisk walk or doing a workout can leave you calmer afterward. Techniques for calming yourself can also be valuable. Deep breathing exercises, yoga, and mindfulness meditations are options. Some of these techniques (particularly deep breathing) are also helpful when you cant completely disengage with the situation. Understand the root of your workplace frustration When youre feeling workplace frustration, it may not always be obvious what’s causing that emotion. That is, you may have the overwhelming feeling that you’re stuck without knowing why. It is valuable to think more about the nature of the obstacle and what would be required to overcome it. In what ways do you feel unprepared to take on the task youre doing? If you need assistance from someone else or an opportunity build your skills, then develop a proposal you can bring to a supervisor to be more effective in the future. To what extent are there organizational structures that are getting in your way? Perhaps there is someone else making it difficult to complete your work. Perhaps you need permission from someone to move forward and cant get the go-ahead. A conversation with your supervisor can be helpful here, as well. If you’re not sure where the barrier is coming from, they may be able to help. If you do know the cause of the problem, they may also be able to clear it away. Bringing these sources of organizational frustration to the attention of a supervisor is also valuable, because if youre having a problem, chances are there are other colleagues who are as well. Get help Occasional frustration is part of everyones personal and professional life. Developing strategies to deal with excess energy that I mentioned earlier help a lot. But, if you find yourself frustrated at work frequently, consider seeing a therapist or career coach. It’s natural to think that the workplace frustration you experience signals a problem with the organization youre working for. You might think the organization is poorly run, that your manager is a problem, or that you are just a bad fit for your current role. And, it’s entirely possible these are a big source of the problem. A good therapist or coach can help you to identify the source of the significant frustration youre feeling. An important reason to work with someone else, though, is that it is also possible that you are helping to make that sense of frustration worse through your own reactions to things happening at work. Perhaps you interpret other peoples actions in a way that makes them feel like obstacles when they are not intended that way. Perhaps you are overestimating your own abilities, and that puts you in situations that are ultimately overwhelming. You might want to please others and so you take on more work than you can handle. A therapist or coach may help you to see the ways that you are contributing to your feelings of frustration. That is important, because you might think that changing jobs will alleviate your workplace frustration. But, if your actions or reactions are contributing to your sense of frustration, those wont go away just by moving from one job to another.
Category:
E-Commerce
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