Rediscovered: Bird Lost to Science for 140 Years

“To find something that’s been gone for that long, that you’re thinking is almost extinct, and then to figure out that it’s not extinct, it feels like finding a unicorn or a Bigfoot,” said expedition co-leader John Mittermeier. The black-naped pheasant pigeon hadn’t been documented by scientists since 1882. After a month of trudging through steep ravines and dense forests on the island of Fergusson in Papua New Guinea, the team retrieved camera trap footage of the chicken-sized bird on the expedition’s final day. “It was, without exaggeration, the most surreal moment of my life,” said Cornell University ornithologist Jordan Boersma. (Source: Audubon; Video source: Jason Gregg/American Bird Conservancy)

Hebe de Bonafini, Argentine Civil Rights Campaigner, Dies at 93

In 1977, after months searching for her two sons, de Bonafini teamed up with 13 other women whose children had been kidnapped by security forces. Together they founded the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. Every Thursday the group protested outside the president’s residence in Buenos Aires, walking counterclockwise around a clock tower. Their first leader was kidnapped and killed but the protests continued. After the fall of the military dictatorship the Mothers continued and de Bonafini was elected leader of a radical faction. A fierce critic of U.S. interference in Latin America, she controversially said she “felt happiness” after 9/11. (Source: The Guardian)

Tokyo Governor: Wear Turtlenecks to Save Electricity

“Warming the neck has a thermal effect,” said Gov. Yuriko Koike. “I’m wearing a turtleneck myself and wearing a scarf also keeps you warm. This will save electricity.” It’s all part of the Japanese government’s “warm biz” campaign to get through the “harsh winter energy climate together.” Japan’s facing a squeeze on energy supplies due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In August Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a controversial call to revive the nation’s nuclear power program. But for now Koike’s urging compatriots to learn from French President Emmanuel Macron who is “taking a lead in wearing turtlenecks.” (Source: The Guardian)

Latin Grammy Wins Latin Grammy for Best New Artist at 95

“I want to dedicate this award to God and to my beloved country, Cuba, which I will never be able to forget,” Angela Álvarez, great-grandmother of 15, said in her acceptance speech. Growing up, her father banned her from pursuing a musical career, so she wrote and played songs at home. After Fidel Castro seized power in 1959 she made the “most difficult” decision to send her four children to the U.S. before she eventually joined them. Her grandson encouraged her to record her first album in 2021. “To those who have not fulfilled their dream,” Álvarez said, “it’s never too late.” (Sources: CNN, WaPo)

Soccer World Cup: Iran Captain Speaks Out Over Abuses at Home

Upon arriving at Sunday’s press conference, Ehsan Hajsafi addressed the elephant in the room: “Before anything else, I would like to express my condolences to all of the bereaved families in Iran,” he said. “The conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy.” This despite FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s bizarre exhortations for those attending the morally dubious Qatar World Cup to not mix sports and politics. The BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil described Hajsafi’s comments as “extraordinary — not so much because of what was said but because of who has said them and where he said them.” (Source: BBC)

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