Important Words From Rev. William Barber

Rev. William Barber: Why the Midterm Election is So Important

Rev. Barber: We have to start teaching people that when we talk about politics, there is not an aspect of your life—from your birth to your death—that is not impacted.

By Rev. William Barber II

Published March 30, 2026

When we look at the midterm elections, we have to start with the basics. We are electing every member of the United States House of Representatives and one-third of the United States Senate. In most places, we are electing their entire state general assemblies, and many are electing governors, attorney generals, and so forth. We are electing the very people who impact every aspect of our lives. These elections determine whether we will have people in office who want to ensure everyone has health care or who want to take health care away; whether we want people in office who will vote to make sure everyone is paid a living wage versus just giving more money to corporations; whether they will care about poor and low-wage voters and the resources for people to afford a basic life, or whether all they will care about is giving more wealth to the already wealthy. That is what’s on the line.

Rev. Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign speaks at the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival Rally at the US Supreme Court on October 27, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Repairers Of The Breach)

What is at stake is whether or not you have a Congress that will demand that the President, whoever that President is, cannot just act unilaterally, but must get congressional approval for war; whether or not we have a budget; whether or not TSA agents are paid; whether or not government employees are paid; whether or not we have a Congress that will stand up and not just be a rubber stamp to what an authoritarian President wants to do or will just “go along to get along.”

We have to start teaching people that when we talk about politics, there is not an aspect of your life—from your birth to your death—that is not impacted. You’re not officially recognized without a birth certificate, which is the result of a political decision. You can’t guarantee your Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security without political decisions. Even as you die, people must understand that politics is not just about personality; it’s about people being put in place and the kinds of policies and vision they will enact.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, is a Professor in the Practice of Public Theology and Public Policy and Founding Director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. He serves as President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign

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He was arrested while repainting Dallas’ rainbow crosswalks. He’d do it all again

Before he was detained, Mason Whiteside, 25, said he spray-painted more than a dozen crosswalks.

By Jamie Landers

Mason Whiteside of Carrollton poses for a photo in front of the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Dallas. Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer

It was already dark when Mason Whiteside finished his workday at a Deep Ellum brewery. By the time he was done cleaning and closing up, it was nearing midnight, but there was another job to do.

Whiteside, 25, called a Waymo to take him to Oak Lawn, where he’d lugged a backpack full of chalk and spray paint: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

“Does anyone want to color with me?” Whiteside asked as people walked by.

No one stopped. He didn’t need them to.

Over the course of three and a half hours, Whiteside alone repainted more than a dozen crosswalks, what he considered a vibrant act of defiance less than 24 hours after the city began stripping the roads of their color. Dallas is among several Texas cities complying with a state directive to remove “political ideologies” from public roadways.

“I wasn’t hurting anybody,” Whiteside, who is queer, told The Dallas Morning News Tuesday. “I didn’t damage anything. I literally just put back the same things that had been there.” (snip-a bit MORE; click the title)

Idris and Sabrina Elba are on a mission to transform an entire West African island

Off the coast of Sierra Leone, the actor and model are fighting against tourists traps with their own vision: a tropical “eco-city” of the future.

Sherbro Island, a tropical outpost of farmers and fishermen nestled in the crook of Sierra Leone’s arcing Atlantic coastline, is about the size of Chicago, but its population of 40,000 wouldn’t even fill Wrigley Field. Electrical power and wireless internet are scarce. Fishermen can’t refrigerate their catches long enough to sell them on the mainland, and farmers often lack the expertise and equipment to harvest much more than they need to survive. But Sherbro Island has some enviable resources, including miles of unblemished beaches and lagoons, as well as an abundance of replenishable fresh water.

One other invaluable asset: the support of Golden Globe–winning British actor Idris Elba and his wife, Canadian model Sabrina Elba. The couple see an opportunity there to marry ecological sustainability with economic growth in a way they hope can be a template for development projects across Africa—and perhaps help rewrite a whole continent’s narrative. Idris’s father is from Sierra Leone, Sabrina’s mother is from Somalia, and growing up, Sabrina says, “there were particular stigmas attached with being African.” She remembers seeing ads that seemed to show abject people waiting for a handout. “We wanted to see Africa represented the way that we knew it to be,” she says. “We wanted to change the storytelling.”

Her husband—known for the baritone potency he brings to prestige TV dramas like Luther and The Wire, along with films like last year’s critically acclaimed thriller A House of Dynamite—first heard about Sherbro Island years ago. A close family friend had tried to convince him it could become a world-class holiday destination. “At that juncture, I was just like, Oh, OK, that sounds interesting,” says Idris, 53, who co-owns a wine bar in London’s King’s Cross neighborhood. “Like, maybe I’ll build a nightclub, maybe build some tourism.” He made a mental note to visit someday.

He got the opportunity in 2019, while he and Sabrina, now 37, were in Sierra Leone touring small family farms as part of their ambassadorial roles with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It was during that trip, Idris says, that he had something of an epiphany. He’d been venturing into philanthropy as his celebrity grew: supporting childhood education and hunger-relief programs in Africa, as well as campaigning on behalf of at-risk youths in the United Kingdom (work for which he was recently knighted). But on that trip, the Elbas saw an opportunity to build something more enduring and meaningful than a fancy vacation spot—and “to reframe the conversation,” Sabrina says, “[from] one of aid to one of investment.” (snip-a little more on the page; click through on the title, please)

Wrong Island

Everyone’s talking about Kharg Island, but there’s another island we should not forget about.

Clay Jones

(Clay Jones writes commentary with his comics; click through on the title to read this one)

(My ophthalmologist referred me to this site one time, because I always have a dog. It’s a hoot most of the time on its own, but recalling that an ophthalmologist subscribes makes it kinda funnier!)

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The Birds Must Be Heard & Seen

Just click through on the birds’s names to see more and hear their songs.

Anna’s Hummingbird

Calypte anna

Colibrí Cabeza Roja (Spanish)

Anna's Hummingbird. Photo by Nick Athana.

About

The Anna’s Hummingbird is a characteristic and charismatic species of coastal Central, Southern, and Baja California, although this species has expanded its range northward along the Pacific Coast and eastward into the Desert Southwest. Like the Rufous Hummingbird, Anna’s is well known for its aggressive territorial behavior. Males fiercely defend feeding areas, where they chase away other male hummingbirds and even large insects such as bumblebees and hawk moths that try to feed there.

Although the Anna’s Hummingbird readily feeds from non-native plants, wild plants are still crucial to these birds — and the birds are just as critical to these native plants. Anna’s Hummingbirds are important pollinators of the chaparral flora of coastal California. Many of these plants flower in the winter months, coinciding with California’s wet season. To take advantage of this boon of nectar, Anna’s Hummingbirds in coastal California breed in what is the nonbreeding season for most North American species, nesting as early as mid-December. After the rains end, many hummingbirds will move up into the mountains to take advantage of blooms at higher elevations.

The Anna’s Hummingbird is a highly vocal species, especially for a hummingbird. Males sing a complex, scratchy-sounding song while perched and during their high-flying courtship spectacles. The male performs this diving display by first ascending to 100 feet or higher, then swooping toward the ground. At the bottom of his dive, he will be moving at about 60 miles per hour, just overhead of a female (or intruding male). At the last minute, he banks upward and flares his tail, causing his modified tail feathers to produce an explosive, high-pitched chirp. The gravitational force (“G-force”) caused by this maneuver would cause a human pilot to lose consciousness, but these little hummingbirds do it again and again, up to about 40 times back to back, when trying to impress a female. He also orients his dives to maximize the reflectance of his beautiful gorget — the gem-like patch of tiny iridescent purple-pink feathers on his throat. According to researchers Christopher Clark and Stephen Russell, from the perspective of a female, he looks like a “tiny, glowing magenta comet” plummeting towards her. (Snip-More on the page. Actually hear a hummingbird!)

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Emerald Tanager

Tangara florida

About

The Emerald Tanager is truly a gem of the forest, roaming through the canopy in search of fruiting trees in the humid montane forests of Central and northern South America. Although primarily a fruit-eater, this species is also adept at hunting insects and other invertebrates on tree branches, deftly manipulating mosses with its bill in search of prey. This behavior sets it apart from other tanager species it often flocks with, but outside of the Emerald Tanager’s range, other specialized tanager species may fill this niche.

The Emerald Tanager’s relationship with moss extends beyond its foraging habits. Though their breeding biology is largely undescribed in peer-reviewed literature, the nests that have been observed have either been made of moss entirely or thoroughly covered in it. This, of course, provides good camouflage on the mossy branches where these tanagers build their nests. (Snip; MORE, and hear the Emerald Tanager)

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Tuesday For Science!

This is the answer to yesterday’s Free The Ocean Trivia. I got it correct, but it was a guess because the other ones didn’t really seem correct. Anyway, it’s good eco news for Tuesday, taken from nature!

Clownfish Collapse in Size as Ocean Temperatures Break Records·

Written by Matthew Russell

In the shallows of Papua New Guinea’s Kimbe Bay, scientists have documented a surprising adaptation among one of the ocean’s most recognizable fish. During a 2023 marine heatwave, orange clownfish—familiar to many as the inspiration behind *Finding Nemo*—began shrinking. Not just slimming down, but actually shortening their bodies to weather the rising temperatures of their coral reef home, as reported by AP News.

This previously undocumented response was observed across dozens of breeding pairs tracked over several months. The findings, now published in *Science Advances*, offer rare insight into how marine species are physically changing to survive extreme climate conditions.

Clownfish are shrinking their bodies during marine heatwaves.

The Heatwave That Triggered a Transformation

Between February and August 2023, researchers repeatedly measured 134 clownfish as ocean temperatures soared to levels resembling a “hot bath,” according to Newcastle University doctoral researcher Melissa Versteeg, whose team led the study alongside local organizations Mahonia Na Dari and Walindi Resort. The scientists discovered that nearly three-quarters of the adult fish shrank at least once during the period, decreasing in total length by several millimeters. These changes happened in mere weeks—not over a lifetime, as previously assumed in similar cases, according to Vox.

Unlike earlier studies that linked climate to stunted growth in birds and mammals over generations, this was physical shrinkage in mature individuals. The observation challenges assumptions about static adult body sizes and opens new possibilities for understanding animal adaptability.

This size reduction is a physical adaptation, not just weight loss.

A Strategy Rooted in Survival and Social Balance

The shrinking wasn’t random. It was synchronized, particularly within breeding pairs. Versteeg’s team found that pairs where both fish shrank together had better odds of surviving the heatwave. The behavior, documented in the wild for the first time in reef fish, helps sustain clownfish social structure, Sustainability Times reports.

Clownfish live in tight-knit social hierarchies, often with one dominant breeding pair and several subordinate members. Size plays a critical role in that hierarchy. When heat stress reduced food availability or oxygen levels, shrinking may have reduced the energy and oxygen needs of the fish. Coordinated downsizing likely helped avoid social conflict and maintain reproductive bonds.

Speaking to the The Washington Post, Newcastle marine ecologist Dr. Theresa Rueger emphasized how this size shift offered advantages: smaller fish may manage heat stress better and require fewer resources—both of which are scarce in warming seas.

The phenomenon was discovered during a 2023 heatwave in Papua New Guinea.

Beyond Clownfish: A Broader Pattern in a Warming Ocean

Clownfish aren’t alone. Scientists have linked higher global temperatures to shrinking trends in a range of species, from birds to mammals. A 2019 study showed that North American birds shrank by an average of 2.6% over several decades. But the clownfish response is distinct because it occurs rapidly, during the adult life stage, and in direct response to a single environmental event.

Thermal stress may trigger these changes by limiting the availability of oxygen and nutrients. Smaller bodies have less demand and are more efficient under strained conditions. There’s even speculation that clownfish, like marine iguanas, may be reabsorbing bone or fat tissue to reduce size, though more study is needed to confirm this hypothesis, BBC News reports.

Scientists measured 134 clownfish monthly and saw widespread shrinkage.

The Limits of Adaptation

Despite this remarkable display of flexibility, adaptation has its limits. The heatwave that prompted this discovery was the first of three consecutive ones in the region. Many of the clownfish studied didn’t survive them all. Coral bleaching—another side effect of heat stress—is stripping clownfish of their sea anemone homes. These vibrant, venomous hosts are essential for clownfish survival, offering shelter and protection. Without them, even the most adaptive clownfish may struggle to persist.

Moreover, this shrinking behavior is not a cure-all. As pointed out by University of Massachusetts fish biologist Joshua Lonthair in The Washington Post, if shrinking turns out to be a widespread response to environmental pressures, it may fundamentally alter how scientists understand growth and maturity in marine life.

Looking Ahead

The clownfish shrinking phenomenon marks a breakthrough in how marine biologists interpret resilience. It’s a glimpse into the extraordinary ways wildlife tries to keep pace with a planet in flux. While researchers continue to explore the exact mechanisms behind this body-size shift, one thing is clear: even iconic species like the clownfish are being reshaped by climate change—literally.

Understanding these changes is crucial, not just for preserving individual species, but for forecasting the health of entire marine ecosystems. In a world growing hotter by the year, adaptation may be the difference between survival and extinction.

People are trying the Dutch practice of ‘dusking’ to reduce anxiety and spark creativity

People are trying the Dutch practice of ‘dusking’ to reduce anxiety and spark creativity

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The simple ritual of going outside to welcome nightfall can be extremely relaxing. Of course, this has been done since the dawn of time. However, the practice of “dusking” has recently regained popularity and has become a trend for people looking to boost their mental well-being. The Dutch have been doing this for ages. In…

By Cecily Knobler

(I can attest to this; I go outside with Ollie while he does his night-night wee & poo, and while I wasn’t aware it’s an actual thing, it is a calming little ritual, to look at the sky and see what I see. There is more than one way to do it. Soon, it’ll be time to repel mosquitoes, of course, but right now, I just wear a little jacket because it’s nice and cool bordering cold outside.)

A person watches the sky as night falls. – Photo credit:Canva

The Dutch have been doing this for ages. In the Netherlands, dusking is referred to as “schemeren,” which translates to “be dusky, to be in twilight.” It’s the idea of letting the lights turn off while the starry night envelops the day. Watching the color of the sky subtly fade can do wonders for a busy mind.

In a piece for The Guardian, writer Rachel Dixon describes her time at the Dark Skies “dusking event” in the United Kingdom in February 2026. “The darkening sky is faintly illuminated by a sharp sliver of crescent moon and the first stars. Bats are swooping in search of supper, an owl is softly hooting, and the dark outline of a ruined castle looms beyond the walls.”

She explains how this ritual has resurged, writing, “The custom had all but died out until it was revived by Dutch poet and author Marjolijn van Heemstra a few years ago. Now she is encouraging other countries to adopt dusking, running events in Ireland, Germany, and here in Yorkshire.”

Dixon shares that van Heemstra also spoke at the event she attended. “Dusking is about looking at one point and seeing it fade. Don’t look around too much; focus. Trees are very good – they rise up for a moment and then fade away,” van Heemstra eloquently said.

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Not only is the concept beautiful, but it can also do wonders for anxiety and spark the imagination.

People are trying the Dutch practice of ‘dusking’ to reduce anxiety and spark creativity

Speckled Tanager

Also Known As

Speckled Calliste
Yellow-browed Tanager
Tangara Pintoja (Spanish)
Tangara Moteada (Spanish)
Saíra-pintada (Portuguese)

About

The Speckled Tanager is a preternaturally beautiful bird, even among the other stunning Central and South American tanagers of the family Thraupidae. The black speckles that give this species its name come from black feathers with brightly colored edges, giving the impression of scales over the bird’s body. The edges blend together to create a palette of iridescent yellow-green and green-blue over the body of the bird.

Striking as these patterns and hues may be, they actually provide good camouflage for this bird up in the green, backlit forest canopies where it spends most of its time. The tanager’s speckles, like the spots on a jaguar or the camo pattern on a hunter’s jacket, are a form of disruptive patterning, a camouflage strategy that breaks up or obscures an animal’s outline, allowing it to blend with its background. Up among the bright green leaves, these birds can easily go unseen. Up close, however, their plumage is hard to ignore.

Threats

Birds around the world are declining, and many of them face urgent threats. The Speckled Tanager lives primarily in old-growth forest, and healthy populations depend on the persistence of forests throughout their range in Central and South America. Though not considered a species of conservation concern, this bird is declining, and deforestation is one likely cause. (snip-MORE)