Maggie the Magnolia - the right kind of tree

Maggie the Magnolia – the right type of tree

Yesterday during the Super Bowl, there was apparently some confusion over what, exactly, a catch is. Jerricho Cotchery of the Carolina Panthers appeared to haul the ball in early in the game, but the play was ruled incomplete. Many football fans (and CBS officiating expert Mike Carey) thought this was an incorrect ruling, and aren’t exactly impressed with the Super Bowl referees. (SB Nation)

Meanwhile, in Spain, seven people were arrested for allegedly supplying cash and weapons to ISIS and other jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq. This group, consisting of five Spanish nationals and two foreigners of Syrian and Moroccan origin, sent the supplies from Spanish ports disguised as “humanitarian help.” (TIME)

According to recent research, newer forests of the “wrong type of trees” in Europe may actually be contributing to Global Warming. After the Industrial Revolution, areas formerly occupied by broadleaved species (such as oak and birch) have been re-forested with faster-growing, more commercially valuable conifers (such as pine and birch) that consume less carbon and absorb more solar radiation. (BBC News)

And finally, some good news: Governor Andrew Cuomo has plans to rebuild Penn Station! The plan is quite optimistic, aiming to both increase convenience and safety for commuters and become a commercial destination comparable to Grand Central Terminal. But it’s difficult to say how willing contractors will be to actually build the new station. (NJ News)

An example for those European conifers via the Barnard website