Latest news with #WesternCarolinaUniversity
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rce may bring 'earthquake moment' in NC politics
One of the most important — and closely-watched — races of 2026 may be a race you probably haven't heard anything about. It's one in which fewer than 100,000 North Carolinians will actually vote, but its outcome will affect everyone in the state. Senate leader Phil Berger, arguably the most powerful politician in North Carolina, is facing a rare primary challenge from Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page in N.C. Senate District 26, which includes parts of western Guilford County. And if recent polls are to be believed, Berger has an uphill battle ahead of him. The primary, which isn't until March, has started early and gotten ugly. Berger started rolling out endorsements from politicians like U.S. Sen. Ted Budd two months ago. He's boasting about how much money his campaign has already raised. His campaign has a 'war room' account on X that launches missives at Page on a near-daily basis. (The account bills itself as 'the unofficial fan page and rapid response defender of NC Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and his reelection campaign.') That's the kind of thing you'd expect to see for national campaigns, but not so much for the state legislature. It's unusual, of course, because it's the first time Berger has faced a serious primary threat in more than two decades. But it also seems a bit unusual that a primary for a state legislative seat would become such an expensive and bare-knuckled affair — or that it would begin nearly a year before the actual election occurs. There have been some fierce primaries on the Democratic side, such as in 2022, when Gov. Roy Cooper endorsed the primary opponent of state Sen. Kirk deViere, or in 2024, when two Democrats that had occasionally sided with Republicans lost to primary challengers. But none have been quite as intense as this, said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University. 'It's not that we've never seen primary challenges, even recently in North Carolina, but with this much on the line and this early and this nasty, it just feels like kind of the next level,' Cooper said. Starting the fight this early might seem a little silly. By the time polls actually open, voters aren't going to remember which congressman endorsed Berger in May 2025, or that Page deleted a social media post about school choice in June. But the fact that voters won't remember those details doesn't mean they don't matter, Cooper said. What happens now allows candidates to shape public perception of themselves and their opponent in a positive or negative way. And as Election Day nears, voters may already feel a certain way about the candidates, even if they don't remember exactly why. What makes this race particularly different, though, is the candidates involved. If it were anyone else, the fight might not be nearly this intense. Berger, obviously, wields immense power. But Page, too, is well-known in the district, having served as sheriff since 1998. He's also cultivated a national profile for himself by aligning closely with Donald Trump. As Cooper put it: 'This isn't David and Goliath. This is David and David going against each other.' For the first time in a long, long time, Berger is campaigning like it's a race he could actually lose. He's legislating like it's a race he could actually lose, too. Berger is the lead sponsor on seven bills this session, the most he's introduced since becoming Senate leader 14 years ago, Axios Raleigh reported. He's also been more publicly supportive of Trump's agenda. It's a fascinating pivot, considering Republican legislators generally don't have to campaign too hard for general elections, let alone primaries. The most powerful people in the legislature tend to be almost insulated by their own power, and they aren't used to having to fight this hard to keep it. That's the kind of thing that Page seems set on challenging — he thinks power in Raleigh is too concentrated and that Berger has lost touch with what matters to people back home. The outcome of the race could have major consequences. A Page victory would prove that even the most powerful politician in North Carolina isn't invincible. It would also mean unseating the man who has led the Senate since Republicans gained control of the legislature in the 2010 elections, and who has overseen the passage of every significant piece of legislation they've passed since. What would the Senate, and the legislature, look like without him? 'If Berger were to lose, that would be, I mean, a kind of an earthquake moment in North Carolina politics,' Cooper said. 'And the vast majority of us don't get any say.' Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The surprisingly relatable reason why some birds get cranky
Trafficked roads, loud noises, suffocating smog. For some people, living in the city can be stressful and unnerving. But a growing body of research shows some city birds can be more aggressive than their rural counterparts, suggesting they too feel the pressures of city life. In a study published in April in the journal Animal Behavior, researchers showed that Galápagos yellow warblers that live near trafficked roads in the Ecuadorian archipelago respond to intruders more aggressively than those living farther away from traffic. They're not the only bird species affected by city life. Numerous studies have investigated the phenomenon of angry urban birds—finding that species such as great tits, European robins, song sparrows, and dark-eyed juncos show more aggression toward each other when they live near urbanized sites. While it's clear that 'in some species of birds, urban populations are more aggressive than rural populations,' there are many different theories for why this happens, says Jeremy Hyman, a professor and department chair of biology at Western Carolina University. In the last decades, the Galápagos archipelago has seen a drastic increase in the human population, with permanent residents today increasing by six percent each year. An increase that requires more infrastructure to house more people, and more cars to move them around. This makes it a perfect 'laboratory' to study how birds respond to new, busy conditions, according to study authors. The researchers selected 38 warbler territories on two islands of the archipelago: Santa Cruz Island, and Floreana Island; both crossed by a main road used by cars. The warblers were located either near the road or at least 300 feet away. In each territory, they played recordings of traffic noise and warblers singing, which simulated an intrusion. 'Each bird was tested once with just the warbler speaker being active, and once with the warbler speaker plus the [car] noise speaker active,' says Çağlar Akçay, a behavioral ecologist at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and study author. When exposed to the sounds of encroaching birds and car noise playing in the background, the warblers living close to the road responded more aggressively than when there was no noise playing. They also responded more aggressively to noise compared to their 'rural' counterparts—getting closer to the speakers and sometimes even attacking them. Mike Webster, an ornithologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who was not involved in the research, says the study is 'pretty convincing' and offers a clear look at how a single environmental change can influence behavior. '[It] really kind of helps us focus in on what the causes of the differences in behavior might be,' he says. Generally, animals that live in cities tend to be bolder and more aggressive—both characteristics that enable them to survive in such complex habitat. 'Individuals that can't deal with constant disturbance, such as noise, people, cars, etc. would be unlikely to thrive in an urban habitat,' says Hyman. Some birds may become more aggressive because cities are rich in food sources—and so there's strong competition to establish a foothold. 'Only the most aggressive males can manage to hold a territory in this place where lots and lots of birds would like to have a territory,' says Hyman. But food scarcity may also make some urban species more aggressive, and so 'birds have to fight an awful lot in order to maintain a large enough territory to get the resources that they need.' High levels of stress caused by noise and other factors might also play a role in making birds more aggressive, notes Hyman. But does being more aggressive enhance your chances of survival? In some cases, aggression seems to be 'a worthwhile cost', says Sarah Foltz, a behavioral ecologist at Radford University. One study that looked at song sparrows living in southwest Virginia showed that aggression didn't impact how much bird parents invested in their offspring. Female birds even spent as much and sometimes more time at the nest than their less aggressive rural counterparts. Overall, the benefits of being more aggressive seem to depend on the kind of habitat the birds are in. For some species, like the song sparrow, some urban areas offer suitable habitats with more food and fewer predators. They might become more aggressive to defend it, and ensure a good habitat were to raise their offspring—and so have better chance of survival. Another 'big unanswered question,' says Hyman, is whether birds learn to be aggressive during their lifetime, or if birds born in urban populations have some measure of aggression encoded in their genes. 'There's little bits of evidence on both sides,' he says. But what scientists do know is that some birds can be highly adaptable. 'Aggression definitely has a genetic component to it,' says Foltz. 'But also, we know that when we change environmental factors, birds change their aggression' Overall, Foltz says scientists are still trying to understand just how much urban density different species can tolerate and which characteristics of an urban environment influence aggressiveness the most. 'We've got all these little pieces,' she says, 'But it's still coming together to make a bigger picture, so it's sort of an unfinished puzzle.'
National Geographic
05-06-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
The surprisingly relatable reason why some birds get cranky
Trafficked roads, loud noises, suffocating smog. For some people, living in the city can be stressful and unnerving. But a growing body of research shows some city birds can be more aggressive than their rural counterparts, suggesting they too feel the pressures of city life. In a study published in April in the journal Animal Behavior, researchers showed that Galápagos yellow warblers that live near trafficked roads in the Ecuadorian archipelago respond to intruders more aggressively than those living farther away from traffic. They're not the only bird species affected by city life. Numerous studies have investigated the phenomenon of angry urban birds—finding that species such as great tits, European robins, song sparrows, and dark-eyed juncos show more aggression toward each other when they live near urbanized sites. While it's clear that 'in some species of birds, urban populations are more aggressive than rural populations,' there are many different theories for why this happens, says Jeremy Hyman, a professor and department chair of biology at Western Carolina University. A song sparrow sings on a branch in California. Research suggests song sparrows may display more aggression in cities because they feel more territorial. Photograph By Marie Read/Nature Picture Library In the last decades, the Galápagos archipelago has seen a drastic increase in the human population, with permanent residents today increasing by six percent each year. An increase that requires more infrastructure to house more people, and more cars to move them around. This makes it a perfect 'laboratory' to study how birds respond to new, busy conditions, according to study authors. The researchers selected 38 warbler territories on two islands of the archipelago: Santa Cruz Island, and Floreana Island; both crossed by a main road used by cars. The warblers were located either near the road or at least 300 feet away. From scuba diving to set-jetting In each territory, they played recordings of traffic noise and warblers singing, which simulated an intrusion. 'Each bird was tested once with just the warbler speaker being active, and once with the warbler speaker plus the [car] noise speaker active,' says Çağlar Akçay, a behavioral ecologist at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and study author. When exposed to the sounds of encroaching birds and car noise playing in the background, the warblers living close to the road responded more aggressively than when there was no noise playing. They also responded more aggressively to noise compared to their 'rural' counterparts—getting closer to the speakers and sometimes even attacking them. Mike Webster, an ornithologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who was not involved in the research, says the study is 'pretty convincing' and offers a clear look at how a single environmental change can influence behavior. '[It] really kind of helps us focus in on what the causes of the differences in behavior might be,' he says. Why so angry? Generally, animals that live in cities tend to be bolder and more aggressive—both characteristics that enable them to survive in such complex habitat. 'Individuals that can't deal with constant disturbance, such as noise, people, cars, etc. would be unlikely to thrive in an urban habitat,' says Hyman. Some birds may become more aggressive because cities are rich in food sources—and so there's strong competition to establish a foothold. 'Only the most aggressive males can manage to hold a territory in this place where lots and lots of birds would like to have a territory,' says Hyman. But food scarcity may also make some urban species more aggressive, and so 'birds have to fight an awful lot in order to maintain a large enough territory to get the resources that they need.' High levels of stress caused by noise and other factors might also play a role in making birds more aggressive, notes Hyman. But does being more aggressive enhance your chances of survival? In some cases, aggression seems to be 'a worthwhile cost', says Sarah Foltz, a behavioral ecologist at Radford University. One study that looked at song sparrows living in southwest Virginia showed that aggression didn't impact how much bird parents invested in their offspring. Female birds even spent as much and sometimes more time at the nest than their less aggressive rural counterparts. Overall, the benefits of being more aggressive seem to depend on the kind of habitat the birds are in. For some species, like the song sparrow, some urban areas offer suitable habitats with more food and fewer predators. They might become more aggressive to defend it, and ensure a good habitat were to raise their offspring—and so have better chance of survival. Another 'big unanswered question,' says Hyman, is whether birds learn to be aggressive during their lifetime, or if birds born in urban populations have some measure of aggression encoded in their genes. 'There's little bits of evidence on both sides,' he says. But what scientists do know is that some birds can be highly adaptable. 'Aggression definitely has a genetic component to it,' says Foltz. 'But also, we know that when we change environmental factors, birds change their aggression' Overall, Foltz says scientists are still trying to understand just how much urban density different species can tolerate and which characteristics of an urban environment influence aggressiveness the most. 'We've got all these little pieces,' she says, 'But it's still coming together to make a bigger picture, so it's sort of an unfinished puzzle.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pisgah Class of 2025 embodies resiliency
Jun. 4—Resiliency. It's a word that has defined Haywood County's easternmost town, particularly over the last few years. Between catastrophic floods only three years apart and the closure of the town's mill, folks from Canton have faced it all. While the whole town has faced those struggles, this year's graduating class from Pisgah High School has been particularly challenged. While struggling to get through high school is difficult enough, having these disasters thrown on top only made it tougher. Those students celebrated that resilience during commencement ceremonies Friday evening, May 30, at Western Carolina University's Ramsey Center. "We made it. It might sound like a simple phrase, but after everything we've been through, those three words carry a lot of weight," graduate Carter Francoeur said. "We went through things most schools and classes can never dream of facing." Even before these seniors reached high school, they were facing the COVID pandemic that had plagued the world. Then their first year of high school was marred by Tropical Storm Fred's floodwaters, which devastated their community. "We really never knew what normal meant because the first flood was our freshman year. We had to show perseverance and make sure we had our ducks in a row," Francoeur said. Outside of floods, the graduates missed time at one point when a hacker compromised the school system's network and demanded the district pay a ransom. "Through a global pandemic, devastating floods and even that random Russian who shut down our school for a week, we learned to adapt, to overcome and to keep moving forward," graduate Mable James said during her commencement speech. Then, in the group's senior year, it happened again with Helene bringing heavy rainfall and flooding to the mountains — causing devastating results and forcing students to miss school days once again. "It was a little different, especially with missing a month of school because of one flood and two months of school because of another flood," said graduate Samuel Payne. While students might not have been at school, they were still staying active in the community they hold dear. "Me and my church did a lot of flood recovery and helping people with their houses," said Payne, who plans to major in fish and wildlife management at Haywood Community College. "I saw a lot of these same guys I'm out here with graduating today out there too. It just shows how much the community means to these guys." While everyone faced challenges as a community, most faced challenges in their personal lives, as well. Some of those moments turned into humorous memories for the graduates looking back. "When we did my first chorus concert, I got up there and played guitar and started in the wrong key," Payne said. "My friends all turned and looked at me like, 'What the heck are you doing man?' We ended up playing that whole song in the wrong key. It was a good moment. Nobody knew it but us." Making it through all of that made reaching graduation that much sweeter for this year's class. "We've been through more than most other graduating classes and still made it. It felt good," said graduate Eli Turner. It also proved to the graduates that they can overcome whatever obstacle is in their way. "To me, graduation meant proof," said graduate Rebecca Terrell. "Proof that I could commit, endure and succeed, even when it was hard. It was a moment to acknowledge how far I'd come, both academically and personally. It meant that the version of myself who started this journey had evolved into someone stronger, wiser and more capable." Through all of this, the class of 2025 built on an already strong sense of camaraderie, not only among themselves but within their community. "I am so proud to be a black bear, and I know that Pisgah High School will always be a part of us, no matter where life leads," James said. For some, that's a feeling of togetherness that has been building since the day they were born. "It's meant a lot," said Francoeur, a Goodnight Scholarship recipient who plans to major in pre-med biology at N.C. State University. "All my family has been at Pisgah for years and years. I grew up going to all the football and basketball games with my grandfather." All that hard work in the classroom and away from it has paid off in a big way. As of May 21, the graduating class had racked up nearly $2 million in scholarship money. While that money is impressive, even more of the students will be going straight into the workforce or into the military — helping the community in ways outside of higher education. When asked what was next for him, Turner said "probably work." "I don't have to wake up and go to school every day and can work and make money and be more," Turner said. Beyond that, the graduates were molded into young adults by the four years of hardships, adaptability and fond memories. "That resilience became part of who we are," Francoeur said. Pisgah seniors recognized their most influential teacher during commencement, awarding the honor to W.C. Godfrey, who works in career and technical education. Math teacher Kristy Sorrells was named the school's teacher of the year by her fellow instructors. About 220 Pisgah graduates received their diplomas during the ceremony.
The Star
31-05-2025
- Science
- The Star
20,000YO whale bone tools are the oldest known evidence of humans using tools
A file picture from 2021 of a projectile made from gray whale bone, dating back to about 18,000 years ago. — ALEXANDRE LEFEBVRE/AP Scientists have pinpointed the oldest known evidence of humans making tools from whale bone. The bones, fashioned into narrow projectiles for hunting, had been uncovered in excavations dating back over a century in the Bay of Biscay near Spain and France. Scientists figured the tools were quite ancient, but many were small fragments so it was hard to determine their age. Technological advancements in the past decade have now made it possible to date the oldest of the tools to about 20,000 years ago. Scientists found that the bones came from blue whales, fin whales, sperm whales and other species. "Humans and whales have clearly been encountering one another for a long time,' said Vicki Szabo with Western Carolina University in North Carolina, United States, who studies the history of whaling and was not involved with the latest research. Scientists think that ancient humans were crafting whale bone instruments in places including the Arctic and South Pacific. There's been solid evidence of whale bone tools dating back to about 5,000 years ago, but the new research published in the journal Nature Communications pushes the timeline back. Ancient humans weren't necessarily hunting whales, said study author Jean-Marc Petillon with the French National Centre for Scientific Research. More likely, they were scavenging the bodies of beached whales and fashioning their dense, heavy bones into tools to hunt reindeer or bison. The tools indicate that ancient people in the area took advantage of resources near the sea for survival. They likely also collected seashells and fished. Finding such evidence has been difficult as rising sea levels disrupt coastlines across the globe, scientists said. "It's one more contribution to the importance of coastal environments for human groups, even in this long past," said Petillon. – AP
