Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Wildlife advocates incensed as documents show state paid out $2,000 per kill in effort to shrink state’s wolf population Idaho officials paid hunters thousands of dollars for killing a dozen newborn wolf pups this spring, including what appears to be at least one full litter killed in or near its den, according to state records shared with the Guardian and Public Domain. The wolf pup killings have incensed wildlife advocates in Idaho, where state wildlife officials have been ordered to take extraordinary measures to shrink the state’s re-introduced wolf population amid complaints from the livestock industry and big game hunting outfitters. Continue reading...

Further south this week, severe thunderstorms affected midterms voting in Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado Despite the rapid descent into autumn in the northern hemisphere, parts of eastern North America have experienced an exceptionally late taste of summer in recent days. Temperatures approached 23C (73F) in New York and Boston, about 7-10C above what is expected in early November. The unseasonable warmth spilled into parts of eastern Canada, with temperatures exceeding 20C, about 10-15C above normal for the time of year. The balmy conditions were caused by an area of low pressure in the US midwest, dragging up exceptionally warm air from the Gulf of Mexico along its eastern flank. This area of low pressure will gradually drift eastwards, allowing temperatures to fall closer to the average. Further south, severe thunderstorms have resulted in numerous flood warnings and evacuation warnings being issued this week across many states, with disruptive weather affecting polling stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado. The powerful thunderstorms even resulted in a tornado touching down in Keyes, Oklahoma, forcing the relocation of a polling station. The tornado caused extensive damage, although no causalities have been reported. Officials across many states have requested federal funding assistance after the extreme weather resulted in widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. Continue reading...

The air quality index in Delhi has already soared above 650, more than 30 times the limit the World Health Organization deems to be safe Continue reading...

Three suitcases’ worth of the spiders were on their way to Germany, where they could fetch an estimated €1.5m More than 3,000 tarantulas were seized at an airport in Lima on their way to Germany, Peruvian authorities said. The spiders were hidden inside dirty socks contained in three suitcases carried by two Germans and a Polish citizen, the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) told Agence France-Presse on Thursday. Continue reading...