Latest news with #Abrahamson
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Carlton County is ground zero for spongy moths
May 23—CARLTON COUNTY — As spongy moths, an invasive species that defoliates forests, continue their westward pursuit, Carlton County has become ground zero in Minnesota's effort to scale back the infestation. Having already infested Lake and Cook counties, the invasive moth, formerly known as gypsy moth, is now gaining a foothold in parts of St. Louis and Carlton counties. To combat this, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture plans roughly half of this year's spongy moth treatments in Carlton County. "When you look at that kind of population front, it's a lot farther advanced in the north," said Mark Abrahamson, a plant protection specialist with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. This summer, the MDA plans to aerially treat 12 different areas within Carlton County, totaling about 27,000 acres, using a pheromone to attract and trap male moths to disrupt their mating. A spring treatment using Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki — or Btk, a bacterium that kills the moth's caterpillars — also was scheduled for around 800 acres in Carlton County, but that was canceled after the MDA did not receive the necessary federal funds for the treatment in time. The spongy moth is monitored and controlled through a national Slow the Spread Program — a partnership between the MDA, U.S. Forest Service and 11 states. In Minnesota, the program has been used to manage 1.1 million acres. The program estimates it has slowed the spread of spongy moths by more than 60%. Though Abrahamson said there is no way to eradicate the spongy moth, programs like this can significantly slow the spread. "Without this program, which has been in place for several decades now, it would have been ... pretty much throughout Minnesota, we would just be living with it," Abrahamson said. Abrahamson said about 75% of the state funding to treat the spongy moth comes from the federal government. Though the MDA is planning its summer treatments, it is a possibility that funding will be pulled again. "There's always the possibility that something unexpected could occur as well. So we'll be, you know, prepared if that's the case, but we're optimistic that we should be able to move forward," Abrahamson said. Abrahamson believes the canceled spring treatments won't drastically affect Carlton County's spongy moth population. The moths are already established to a point where Btk would not be as effective as mating disruption, which is more effective among established populations. "By this summer, we wouldn't expect that people are going to really be noticing a lot," Abrahamson said. Originally hailing from Europe, the spongy moth first came to North America from Massachusetts in the 1860s as part of a failed science experiment to breed silk-spinning caterpillars, according to Mass Audubon, a New England-based conservation organization. The caterpillars escaped to the scientists' backyard and began their westward conquest from there. The moth's population has proliferated in the northern parts of the country. Though the reasons are not entirely known, Abrahamson theorizes it could be because the larvae, which move on a silken thread, can travel across lakes great distances.
Irish Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
‘I couldn't sit through it': New Oscars rule requires members to watch all films before voting
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is set to clamp down on shirkers within the voting body for the Oscars . The most headline-grabbing of recently announced new regulations concerns a requirement for members to have seen every film nominated in any category for which they wish to vote. There has been some shock on social media that this has not always been the case. But anonymous interviews with voters over the years revealed that many made little effort to see every relevant title. 'I did not bother to see Maestro ,' one said of Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein biopic in 2024. 'Two people I trust in the industry told me very strongly, 'Don't waste your time,' so I didn't.' In the same year, another voter managed only the opening act of Yorgos Lanthimos's Poor Things . 'I couldn't sit through it. We went to see it in a theatre and left after 40 minutes,' they said. To be fair, some 50 films were nominated for the 2025 Oscars and, though all members are industry professionals, free time must be cleared for their electoral duties at Oscar season. Even the most diligent voter will fail to see every title in every category. Irish film-maker Lenny Abrahamson , nominated as best director for Room in 2016, is one member who takes his franchise seriously. 'It's up to your own conscience,' Abrahamson told The Irish Times. 'I watch all the films in a category if I'm voting. Because that seems like the right thing to do. And I think probably most people feel the same. But it's very difficult to enforce. Good luck, I suppose.' READ MORE Some areas of enforcement will be more straightforward than others. Voting members have access to an online portal called the Academy Screening Room that offers all nominated titles. Any film watched on that system will be automatically logged. Movies watched at festivals, academy events or in public screenings must be registered via an online form. So, if, this year, Saoirse Ronan sees Wicked: For Good in her local North London Odeon she will have to say as much to the computer before voting for it or for any film nominated against it. The Academy will not be demanding a ticket stub from her. 'Apart from the things that I see in cinema or at festivals – which I might have been to earlier in the year – most of the stuff I watch on the portal,' Abrahamson said. Will it make any difference to the results? There has been speculation that this is good news for low-budget titles and those in a language other than English – films that less adventurous voters shun – but Bafta , which has had comparable rules in place for some time, delivers remarkably similar results to their American counterparts. In 2024, best film, director, and all four acting prizes matched. This year, among those prizes, four of the six doubled up with the British and US awards. So expect no seismic shift. The rules will be in place for next year's ceremony when, for the first time, the Academy will present a new award for best casting. A stunt design prize arrives for the centenary 100th awards in 2028.
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Hillsborough Law draft 'a betrayal' of families
One of the lawyers who drafted the proposed Hillsborough Law has described the lack of decisive action so far as a "betrayal" of the families of the legislation would demand public authorities and officials tell the truth and co-operate with official investigations and inquiries in the wake of major disasters, or face criminal first draft of the bill also provided a commitment to legal funding for people facing official Abrahamson, who has represented some of the families and acts as a director of the Hillsborough Law Now Campaign, said the current draft bill does not include any of those pledges. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had pledged to introduce the law before this year's anniversary of the 1989 disaster, which has now government said recently that more time is needed to draw up the bill. The stadium crush during the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans. Mr Abrahamson said of the bill: "We feel it is a betrayal."It does not contain a duty of candour which is what the whole idea of the bill is about."It also does not contain parity of funding which is the other thing that the bill was about."The government are re-thinking it, which is a positive sign."But we have no idea what they are going to think when they do re-think."The lawyer added that he had "no clue" when the government would meet the families or legal teams prime minister's spokesman said: "Having consulted with groups over recent weeks and months, we believe more time is needed to draft the best version of a Hillsborough Law."But we remain fully committed to bringing this legislation at pace, and we'll obviously continue to work with them in the weeks ahead and provide an update when we've got it." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
