Latest news with #MeganDuffy
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Some Washington salmon face ‘brink' of extinction, report finds
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A new report released by the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office in Washington, found some salmon populations have seen growth, while others are struggling and face extinction. On Tuesday, the Salmon Recovery Office announced the release of the 'State of Salmon in Watershed Executive Study,' finding four salmon species have improved since the last report in 2022. Of the 14 species of salmon and steelhead in Washington that are listed as at risk of extinction, six are improving while eight are either struggling or in crisis, the report found. DON'T MISS: Why salmon sperm facials are the new skincare catch 'Salmon are critical to our economy and way of life,' said Megan Duffy, director of the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. 'They support our commercial and recreational fishing industry. They are food for other animals including endangered Southern Resident orcas. They are key to Tribal culture and treaty rights, and they support many tourist communities. It is encouraging to see there is progress but the number of salmon populations still struggling reminds us that now is not the time to let up. We must continue investing in saving salmon so we all may benefit.' The biennial report notes that salmon are facing challenges made worse by climate change, including habitat loss, warming waters, and an increase in wildfires destroying trees along riverbanks that provide shade. 'Salmon face many challenges throughout their lives,' explained Erik Neatherlin, director of the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office. 'Climate change causes more flooding that flushes young salmon downstream before they are ready. It is warming the ocean, which also is becoming more acidic. And when salmon return home, they face rivers that are too warm and don't have enough water. The restoration projects happening all around the state are an essential piece of the puzzle for reversing these trends.' Construction nearly underway for new music venue in Portland's Lloyd District For generations, Washington's salmon populations have been in decline, officials said. As the state has grown, many places where salmon have lived were altered or destroyed. In 1991, the federal government declared the first species of salmon in the Pacific Northwest as endangered, and by the end of the decade, salmon and steelhead listed as endangered had covered three-quarters of the state. While some salmon populations are facing challenges driven by climate change, degrading habitats, blocked migration routes and pollution, the report also found 'some bright spots,' the office said. 'Four salmon species improved, and we have seen more money invested in salmon recovery in the past several years,' Neatherlin said. 'This has allowed more partners to come together to do more for salmon. We know that the only way to have a future for salmon and people is by working together.' Since 2005, 3,866 barriers to fish passage have been fixed and more than 5,000 miles of stream have been made accessible to salmon, in addition to over 53,000 waterways that were restored in the state, according to the office. 'Tribes, partners and communities are working all around the state,' Neatherlin said. 'In spite of growing challenges, we are seeing some signs of progress to save these iconic fish. We must double down on these efforts, and we must continue to work together.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
12-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Women's college basketball bubble watch: Predictions for crowded Big Ten race to tournament
Editor's note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments. As February continues, the bracket and seeding possibilities whittle away. The meat of conference play provides some of the very best basketball and most impactful games that we get throughout the entire season. Advertisement None of the top seeds are fully locked in, and there are some incredibly important games before the weekend for determining what the No. 1 and No. 2 seed lines look like. And, hey, we'll also get the first selection committee Top 16 seed reveal on Sunday, giving some key insight into how the decision-makers view the upper crust of the field. On Thursday, Kentucky hosts Texas in a massive game. Considering that the SEC currently has a three-way tie for first, and Kentucky sits a game back of the top three, this game could have sizable ramifications for March, similarly to South Carolina and Texas this past weekend. Following that game comes our first crosstown showdown between UCLA and USC as Big Ten members. I'm still not used to the Big Ten commercial's map including California, and I might not get to that point until the next sizable conference realignment. Do the Trojans knock off the final undefeated team in the country? Does UCLA increase its hold on the Big Ten with a rivalry win? Locks: Notre Dame Projected in: California, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, North Carolina State On the bubble: Virginia Tech After last weekend, Stanford is officially out of bubble watch, entirely unlikely to make it to March Madness without winning the ACC tournament. That leaves Virginia Tech as the lone bubble team in the conference, as Louisville looks fairly solid at this point. Key wins over Georgia Tech and Louisville bolster the Hokies' resume. Currently 5-2 against the bottom half, they've cemented themselves as the bellwether of the ACC. Virginia Tech takes on North Carolina, Stanford, California, Boston College and Clemson in that order to close the year. Beating three teams in the lower tier would likely be enough for Virginia Tech to get in, but playing UNC and Cal close — or even snagging a game — would go a long way to ensure a tournament appearance in coach Megan Duffy's first season. Locks: UConn Projected in: Creighton On the bubble: Marquette, Seton Hall, Villanova The Pirates are a more defensive-minded, grit-it-out team than in the past few seasons. Jada Eads, their leading scorer during conference play, is a shoo-in for the Big East all-freshman team. Faith Masonius is a jack-of-all-trades point forward in her grad year. You have to keep your guard up against the Pirates, who are ranked 18th nationally in steals per game while also rarely turning over the ball themselves. Does Seton Hall have a case for March Madness inclusion? My heart says yes, wanting to see this program in the tourney for the first time since 2016, but keeping in line with how the selection committee weighs teams, I'm leaning toward no. Advertisement Seton Hall's best nonconference win was against a solid Cincinnati team (78th in the NET), and while it was good to see them go wire-to-wire and lose to Princeton (another bubble team) might hurt in the long run. The Pirates had some moments against USC and LSU — both No. 2 seeds in our bracket — but the final results (25-point losses) likely will be factors that keep them out of the tournament. Things are made more difficult for the Pirates with only two teams capable of providing a shot at Quad 1 games in the Big East: Connecticut and Creighton. (Seton Hall has just one more shot in the regular season at a Quad 1 victory when it hosts UConn next week.) The women's basketball selection committee didn't use the quad system last season, but it's noteworthy that Columbia was the only team to make the tournament at-large without a Quad 1 win. So let's put it like this, if Seton Hall were to convincingly beat the remainder of its conference opponents and at least play UConn tight, there's a shot. It's a long shot, and some luck would be required, but given how murky the bubble picture has been, it's not impossible. Locks: Ohio State, UCLA, USC Projected in: Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon On the bubble: Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Washington The Golden Gophers are on track for a regular season with more than 20 wins for the first time since 2019 and they sit above .500 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2018. The first season and a half of the Dawn Plitzuweit era has been a success despite multiple injuries to program star Mara Braun. However, when looking at the NCAA Tournament this year, Minnesota still has to work to build a case for the Big Dance. Though Minnesota's NET ranking (31) and record (19-6) are strong, the selection committee would likely poke holes with a deeper dive. Advertisement All of the Gophers' nonconference opponents were in Quad 4. Winning no matter who you're playing matters (and impacts NET), but it's difficult to take much of that into account when none of those opponents would be auto-bids for their conference at this moment. Minnesota has shown its mettle, playing good opposition tight (Maryland, Michigan, Iowa) and picking up key wins over Illinois and Indiana. But the Gophers need to secure a signature Quad 1 win or two to fully lock in as a tourney team. To point to a similar case, Marquette last ranked well in the NET with a similarly light nonconference schedule, but got into the field likely by beating Creighton in Big East play — and the Golden Eagles still barely got in as a No. 10 seed. Can Minnesota make some noise against Ohio State in Columbus this week? Locks: Kansas State, TCU Projected in: Baylor, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Utah On the bubble: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa State Iowa State is a perfect reminder of why predicting things on paper before a season is so difficult. Although it's fair to say the Cyclones have underperformed its preseason expectations (while noting the loss of Mackenzie Hare for the season before Big 12 play), some of the expectations may have come too soon. The Cyclones were solid but were 13-9 at this point last season, owning a 2-4 record in what would count as Quad 1 games this year. Most of Iowa State's push to wind up a No. 7 seed came from its late-season run, spurred by wins over Kansas State (twice), Baylor and Oklahoma. Without those three weeks, the 2023-24 Cyclones would've been in a similar position to this season's. It stands out that there isn't a middle of the Big 12, given the lack of depth in the league. Iowa State is a sort of the separator between the top and bottom of the Big 12, going 0-5 against the teams higher in the standings and undefeated against the teams below it. The Cyclones taking out Colorado recently was huge for adding a decisive win over another bubble team. We'll find out whether Iowa State can put its best foot forward the rest of February, much like last season. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 👏 Four 3s and a buzzer beater for @a_jackson2205!! 🌪️🏀🌪️ — Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneWBB) February 9, 2025 Locks: Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Texas Projected in: Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt On the bubble: Auburn, Florida Texas A&M is unfortunately out of the NCAA Tournament picture at this point, dropping five straight games by double digits since star wing Aicha Coulibaly's injury. The Aggies had potential after beating Kentucky, but injuries have held them back. We're here to talk about the Gators, however, and they're getting quite close to the same territory as Texas A&M. Advertisement Florida's best win is a toss-up between Clemson and Missouri, both Quad 2 opponents. Can the Gators find something to get them going on defense to close out the year? They'll have to make a splash as they ranked 14th out of 16 SEC teams in defensive efficiency. The Gators have talent: Liv McGill is one of the nation's best freshmen as a poised lead guard with silky shot-making. Ra Shaya Kyle is a consistent matchup problem in the post. Jeriah Warren is having a breakout final year. Laila Reynolds has shown promise as a sophomore wing. Florida has lost every Quad 1 game by double digits, but it has three more opportunities to pick up a win in those games down the stretch. I'd also keep my eyes peeled on Sunday when the Gators host Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are projected in the field but have been on a tough skid since beating Auburn. This will be a key game for both teams, as neither can afford a loss. . @mcgiaiviA1 ➡️ @lailaReynolds15 📺 — Gators Women's Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 7, 2025 Locks: None Projected in: Albany, Ball State, Belmont, Columbia, Fairfield, Fairleigh Dickinson, FGCU, Gonzaga, Harvard, Hawaii, Grand Canyon, James Madison, Lehigh, Lindenwood, Middle Tennessee, Montana State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina-Greensboro, Radford, Richmond, Purdue-Fort Wayne, South Dakota State, Southeastern Louisiana, Texas Southern, UNLV, UTSA On the bubble: Drake, George Mason, Green Bay, Missouri State, Murray State, Northern Arizona, Portland, Princeton, St. Joseph's, South Florida If you haven't watched the Hawks, I strongly recommend changing that this week as St. Joseph's travels to Richmond on Thursday to take on the best team in the A-10. Laura Ziegler has a claim as the best conference player and one of the best among mid-majors, averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds and more than four assists per game. She shoots well from long distance on high volume, is adept at scoring in the post and can play well out of a two-player game. She's emblematic of St. Joe's as a team, playing with a ton of versatility and scoring prowess at every position. Advertisement I've seen the notion thrown around that the A-10 will be a two-bid league, and while that's a possibility, it isn't guaranteed. St. Joseph's and George Mason, the two teams trailing Richmond in the A-10, have strong records and quality NET rankings. However, each lacks a nonconference Quad 1 win, and few opportunities to pick those up remain. St. Joe's resume was also hurt by a 91-65 loss to fellow bubble team Villanova. The Hawks are good but need to beat Richmond once in the two remaining regular-season matchups. The Bracket Central series is part of a partnership with E*TRADE. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photos of Niamya Holloway and Yarden Garzon: Jevone Moore and Jeffrey Brown / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
