Biden Signs Law Making Bald Eagle Official US National Bird
US Pres. Joe Biden has signed legislation officially designating the bald eagle as America's national bird.
Despite appearing on the Great Seal since 1782 and serving as a prominent national symbol throughout US history, the bald eagle was never formally designated as the national bird through legislation until this recent law.
Minnesota resident Preston Cook discovered this oversight while conducting research for his book. He then initiated the legislative effort by drafting a bill that received unanimous support in both the Senate and House.
Narrative A
The bald eagle symbolically encompasses American values of strength, courage, and resilience, especially after having survived near extinction to make a remarkable recovery. The species, indigenous to North America, is a powerful symbol of the nation's heritage, and its population growth in recent decades reflects successful conservation efforts through government intervention.
Narrative B
While the bald eagle has been a long standing national symbol, and the latest legislation is effectively just righting an administrative oversight, its position in US culture has always been contentious. Benjamin Franklin famously favored the turkey over bald eagles, which he observed lacked courage in their interactions with other species. This new law isn't as uncontroversial as it may seem.
Bird Flu Kills 20 Big Cats at Washington Wildlife Sanctuary
Twenty big cats at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Shelton, Washington, reportedly died from bird flu between late November and mid-December 2024, reducing the sanctuary's population from 37 to 17 cats.
The deceased animals included five African servals, four cougars, four bobcats, two Canada lynx, one Bengal-Amur tiger, one African caracal, one Geoffroy's cat, one Bengal cat, and one Eurasian lynx.
The virus spread rapidly through the five-acre facility, despite the animals being housed in separate enclosures. The cats showed pneumonia-like symptoms and often died within 24 hours of infection.
Narrative A
These deaths are heartbreaking and a significant loss to the country. The devastating outbreak demonstrates the increasing threat of bird flu to various species. As no one knows how the animals were infected and the virus continues to mutate and spread beyond traditional avian hosts, the disease puts both wildlife and domestic animals at unprecedented risk.
Narrative B
While the outbreak is concerning, public health risk remains low as no human-to-human transmission has been reported in the US to date. Since most human cases of bird flu have so far resulted only in mild symptoms, we can be confident that there is no need to panic, as bird flu is still an animal health issue.
Nerd narrative
There's a 2% chance that there will be any reported human-to-human transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 globally before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
14 Syrian Security Forces Killed in Pro-Assad Ambush
Fourteen interior ministry personnel were killed and ten others wounded in an ambush by Assad loyalists in Syria's western Tartus province while attempting to arrest a former regime officer, the transitional government said on Thursday.
The security forces were targeting Mohammed Kanjo Hassan, a former officer accused of issuing death sentences and arbitrary judgments against thousands of prisoners at the notorious Saydnaya prison.
The incident occurred after Hassan's brother and armed supporters intercepted the security forces, setting up an ambush near the village of Khirbet al-Maaza in Tartus province.
Narrative A
The new government is working to maintain security and bring justice to those responsible for past crimes, while protecting minority rights and establishing a stable transition of power. The arrest attempt was part of legitimate efforts to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities in Syria's notorious prison system.
Narrative B
The Alawite community faces collective punishment and revenge violence, with their religious sites being attacked and community members being targeted. The new authorities are failing to protect religious minorities and are conducting arbitrary arrests of former regime members.
Nerd narrative
There's a 45% chance that three mainstream American news outlets will report that a rebel group perpetrated the 2013 Ghouta Chemical Attack before Aug. 21, 2033, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Undersea Power Cable Linking Finland and Estonia Hit by Outage, Finnish PM Says
An undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia has been hit by an outage, prompting an investigation, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Wednesday.
Writing on the X (formerly Twitter) platform in his native language, Orpo said that power transmission through the Estlink-2 cable was interrupted on Wednesday afternoon, but added it did not affect his country's access to electricity.
As part of the investigation, Finland seized a Cook Islands-registered oil tanker on Thursday on suspicion that the vessel's anchor may have caused the damage. According to Finnish customs service, the ship is suspected of smuggling embargoed Russian crude and oil products.
Narrative A
After falling out of operation for the majority of 2024, there are many possible explanations for this cable's shutdown. Although the possibility of sabotage has been floated, the world must wait for a thorough analysis and investigation before jumping to any conclusions. Whatever the case, the Finnish prime minister has been clear that his country remains unaffected.
Narrative B
While it's not yet clear whether this damage was even the result of sabotage, Russia (along with other nations) has undoubtedly adopted a 'gig economy' approach to the recruitment of saboteurs in recent months, all with the aim of disrupting, delaying, and degrading its enemies. Sabotage has historically never dealt a decisive blow, but hastened the weakening and decay of key infrastructure, as is the case here.
Nerd narrative
There's a 0.5% chance that a NATO member’s investigation will conclude that the US was involved in the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
6K Inmates Escape, 33 Killed in Mozambique Prison Break
A massive prison break occurred at Mozambique's Maputo Central Prison on Christmas Day, resulting in 33 deaths, 15 injuries, and the escape of at least 6K inmates.
The escapees included at least 30 inmates linked to armed groups — including one deemed "highly dangerous" — who were being held in the maximum-security facility. Only 150 prisoners who fled the prison have been recaptured so far.
The prison break comes amid widespread civil unrest following Mozambique's Constitutional Council's confirmation of ruling party Frelimo's victory, with Daniel Chapo winning 65% of the vote.
Narrative A
Wednesday's prison break was directly connected to the external post-election violent protests, as the inmates took advantage of instability and confusion to orchestrate their escape. The incident represents a climate of chaos and a broader breakdown of law and order stemming from an illegal election. The high court must overturn the election result before widespread violence breaks down state infrastructure.
Narrative B
The unrest started inside the prison and had nothing to do with election-related protests outside the facility. The inmates likely took advantage of the Christmas holiday season, when fewer guards were on duty, to break free. The opposition's refusal to accept legitimate election results, and decision to call for demonstrations, has led to the country's destabilization. The escape poses a significant challenge, but the government will soon recapture the fugitives and restore order.
Dead Body Found in United Airlines Plane Wheel Well in Hawaii
A deceased person was discovered in the landing gear compartment — also known as the wheel well — of a United Airlines Boeing 787-10 aircraft after it landed at Kahului Airport in Maui on Christmas Eve.
United Airlines Flight 202 departed from Chicago O'Hare International Airport at 9:31 am local time and landed in Maui at 2:12 pm local time, following a previous flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Chicago.
Investigators have not yet determined how or when the deceased accessed the wheel well area, which is only accessible from outside the aircraft. Temperatures outside a plane can drop to 75 to 80 degrees below zero during flight, exposing stowaways to the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.
Narrative A
This incident highlights serious security vulnerabilities at airports, as someone managed not only to breach the airport, but to access a restricted area of an aircraft without detection, exposing potentially critical safety gaps in the system.
Narrative B
This tragic event underscores the desperate measures some individuals will take to reach other countries, resulting in fatal consequences due to the extreme conditions in aircraft wheel wells, including lack of oxygen and freezing temperatures. This isn't just about problems in the aviation industry, but the ongoing loss of life taking place amid global instability and conflict.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that at least 1.84M southwest land border encounters will be reported by US Customs and Border Protection in 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Japan Airlines Hit by Cyberattack
Japan Airlines (JAL) experienced a cyberattack on Thursday morning that began at 7:24 am local time, causing system malfunctions in its internal and external systems.
The airline identified the disruption as a distributed denial-of-service attempt — an attack that overwhelms network systems or servers with massive data transmissions.
The disruption resulted in delays to 24 domestic flights for more than 30 minutes, though no virus infections or customer data leaks were reported.
Narrative A
This cyberattack demonstrates significant vulnerabilities in Japan's critical infrastructure security, particularly as the country strengthens its defense partnerships with allies who maintain stricter cybersecurity protocols, suggesting an urgent need for enhanced protection measures.
Narrative B
The swift identification and resolution of this attack, with no compromise to flight safety or customer data, shows that JAL's existing security systems and response protocols were effective in minimizing potential damage and maintaining operational integrity. While there is still progress to be made, Japan has made significant strides in bolstering its cyber defenses.
Nerd narrative
There is a 95% chance that an artificial intelligence system will be reported to have independently gained unauthorized access to another computer system before 2033, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Reports: Russian Missile Likely Shot Down Azerbaijan Plane
A Russian surface-to-air missile likely caused the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash on Christmas Day, four Azerbaijani government sources with access to the preliminary findings of an investigation into the tragedy told Reuters on Thursday. Kazakhstan's chief prosecutor, however, has said that the probe hasn't yet settled on a definitive cause.
On Wednesday, an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 on board. The plane carried 62 passengers and five crew members; 29 travelers survived the crash, while both pilots died.
The flight, originally scheduled from Baku to Grozny, diverted across the Caspian Sea after reportedly encountering difficulties near Chechnya, where Russian air defenses were active against Ukrainian drones.
Anti-Russia narrative
There are clear indications that a Russian anti-aircraft system struck the Azerbaijan Airlines flight on Wednesday. Russia's recklessness in its war with Ukraine likely resulted in its electronic warfare systems paralyzing the aircraft's communications, forcing it to divert across the Caspian Sea rather than land at nearby Russian airports despite requests from the pilots for an emergency landing. This would be an act of negligence, and Russia should be held accountable.
Pro-Russia narrative
The reasons for the crash aren't yet known. What's known so far is that the flight was diverted because of poor weather conditions and crashed during its landing. The aircraft could have experienced a technical failure, or a flock of birds could have collided with it. It's unethical to prematurely point fingers at Moscow when the investigation is underway and police are still conducting forensic examinations.