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“Red as embers, Brazil.” The bright red color of its wood gave its name first to the tree and then to the country. When the first Portuguese conquerors began to explore the tropical forest on the Atlantic coast, they quickly came across a tree whose reddish wood could be used to dye fabrics. These ember-like fibers could create the brilliant scarlet coveted by royalty and aristocrats across half of Europe. The discovery of the Pau Brasil (Palo Brasil, Paubrasilia Echinata) caused a stir and the tree was felled en masse. Those who traded with him were called “Brasileiros”. Now, more than 500 years later, other Brazilians are fighting to revive the species. Among them is Patricia da Rosa, a biologist and botanist at Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), who has set out to do a general X-ray of their state to find out how many are left to understand what can be done to save It.

Accompanying her on one of her expeditions is not an easy task. In the Pedra Branca Mountains, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Rosa moves through the jungle like a true explorer: covered from head to toe (safe against mosquitoes, snakes and uncomfortable vines) and wearing a vest full of gadgets, she goes up a steep slope Part of the jungle where he knows there are about thirty specimens. The path is quite imaginary. He is accompanied by a colleague, the biologist Jaílton Costa, who makes his way through the lush vegetation with a machete. Along the way, the two stop and wonder what species this flower belongs to, or comment on how well the shrub has grown since they were last here. After a while, the first warning signs appear: the “companion species”. This is what they call the most common trees that are usually found in the same area where the Pau Brasil grows. One has to be vigilant because if so, it’s possible that the famous vegetable does too, although of course the trail doesn’t always work. Reaching the hot zone, botany does not hide its joy. “What beauty! Look how they’ve grown!” He pulls out his tape measure to measure the trunks and his enormous several meter pair of pruning shears to get to the crown and take some leaf samples for the university herbalist.

Jailton Costa finds in Guaratiba, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, an offspring of Pau Brasil, small young trees of young age that show signs of how the species is evolving.Leonardo Carrato

The visit is particularly fruitful because it finds five new trees, barely a few centimeters tall, the so-called “regenerators”. He wraps them in a black cloak so he can measure and photograph them well, then cautiously walks away, hoping they will survive the demanding ascent into the heavens. You will have no additional help: no irrigation, no fences, no signage to prevent accidental entry that could be fatal. It’s better to be discreet and make sure they grow like the thousands of plants that surround them, even though they’re not. Not only because they are threatened with extinction. This small group is also possibly the southernmost in Brazil. Pau Brasil is mainly located on the east coast of the country, between the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Rio de Janeiro, exactly on the coast where colonization began and which is now one of the most densely populated areas in the country. The few remaining specimens grow in the most remote and driest areas of the Atlantic Rainforest, a lush tropical forest biome. They can grow up to 30 meters tall (not to be confused with the small brazilwood plant, used as an ornamental plant in many countries). The Pau Brasil is an imposing tree with a sturdy trunk and tiny leaves. Before the name given to him by the Portuguese, the natives called him Ibirapitanga, since in Tupi-Guarani Ybirá is a tree and Pitanga is red.

Da Rosa already has her samples in her backpack and is happy to have discovered new specimens. She comments that fragmentation is “the great drama of the Atlantic Forest and Pau Brasil”. The remaining specimens are located in very distant pieces of jungle. Bees, the main pollinators, are unable to transport pollen from one population to another, increasing the risk of ‘genetic ruin’. The quality of their genetic material decreases so much that with the sudden appearance of a pest, the invader may win the fight, since the trees are already severely weakened. The lack of genetic renewal is not the only threat that still plagues the species. The times of illegal logging did not remain in the days of caravels, it is a problem even in the 21st century.

Patricia Rosa points to the upper part where she identified a Pau Brasil from the characteristics of the leaves of the species found in Guaratiba in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Leonardo Carrato

From the 17th century, when chemical compounds appeared, wood forging for dyeing took a pause, but then came the fashion for musical instruments. Due to its hardness and the length of its fibers, Pau Brasil is highly valued for making bows for wind instruments such as violins and double basses. The species has been in the red book of Brazilian flora since 1968, but as botanist Haroldo Cavalcante explains, its wood continues to be traded illegally. Cavalcante has been working with this tree for 40 years and is the country’s leading specialist on this species. He is overseeing the work Da Rosa is developing at the Rio Botanical Garden’s National School of Tropical Botany to shed light on the tree’s current situation , and also conducts expeditions to count them in the Espírito Santo state north of Rio. He explains that many slats leave the country as wood from other trees, and that batches of wood said to have been cut decades ago when the tree was unprotected are also legally traded. A lack of controls and traceability makes fraud the norm.

Last year, federal police disbanded an organization that illegally felled specimens of Pau Brasil in a national park and charged 370 million reais ($76 million or €70.6 million) to export their timber. Over the past two years, authorities have seized more than 72,000 batons that were supposed to be illegally leaving Brazil to be turned into delicate bows capable of playing sophisticated notes of classical music. It’s a very lucrative business: in Brazil, the bows are bought for values ​​that usually do not exceed 40 reais ($8) but abroad the bows can cost up to 14,600 reais ($3,000, 2,800 euros). . .

Patricia Rosa uses binoculars to observe the leaves of the trees to identify the Pau Brasil population in Guaratiba in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.Leonardo Carrato

The last census of Pau Brasil was conducted in 2012 and since then there is no updated data. It is not known for certain how many trees are left, but Cavalcante fears his student’s work will not bring good news: “It remains in critical condition. In the last ten years we have seen how many populations have declined, particularly due to being exposed to illegal exploitation (…), the remaining areas are in very small areas and are not protected,” he warns. The main problem right now, he says, is that the illegal trade has increased dramatically after China entered the violin bow market.

Da Rosa is preparing to travel to northeastern Brazil later this year to continue counting trees and plans to complete his study in 2025, which he hopes will help authorities make definitive public Develop guidelines for saving the species. According to him, the priority should be to protect what little is left and try to connect these areas with reforested corridors. The Pau Brasil is already common in nurseries, and in fact it is already widely used as an ornamental tree in streets and squares in cities like Rio de Janeiro. The challenge is to grow in the middle of the jungle where there are many competitors and also many more threats. The young botanist knows very well that Brazilian children hear about this tree for the first time in history class, but she always insists that she does not do archaeological work. “The Pau Brasil tells us about the past, but it also tells us what we will do in the future to preserve the Atlantic Forest,” she assures, already convinced in the car on the way home. Once you’ve arrived, you don’t have to lie down to rest: you have to hurry and put all the leaf samples in the wooden presses before they wither.

Views of the pristine Atlantic Forest that shares territory with the region’s banana plantation. The population of Pau Brasil lives in the jungle of Guaratiba, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Leonardo Carrato

Don Lemon claimed he was fired for simply telling the truth and refusing to spotlight “liars, bigots, insurgents and election deniers,” he said in his first sit-in interview since losing his job at the network.

Lemon was ousted from his longtime presenter role at the 24/7 news network in April after falling out with several of his co-hosts on CNN This Morning and conducting a viral interview in which he attacked presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

His firing came as newly installed CEO Chris Licht planned to make some changes to the network, including losing its infamous wake angle. He, too, has now lost his role.

Lemon, 57, now insists he “stands up for what is right” as he called Licht’s suggestion of having more conservative voices on the air “a neglect of journalistic duty”.

“I have a responsibility, not only as a journalist but also as an American, to speak this truth and live up to the promises of the Constitution, because the Constitution says, ‘A more perfect Union. Not a perfect union,” he said.

Don Lemon, in a new sit-down interview, claimed he was fired for simply telling the truth and refusing to provide platforms for “liars, fanatics, insurgents and election deniers.”

He slammed the now-fired CEO Chris Licht, who said he plans to add more conservative voices to the notoriously woke network

CNN is struggling to survive. Some insiders say parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is even considering selling the entire property.

In his first session since being fired, Lemon took aim at his former employer, saying he has a duty as a journalist to tell the truth.

“To fulfill the promise of the Constitution, we must stand up for what is right,” Lemon told ABC24 Memphis. “We must stand for the truth.”

When asked about his now-infamous interview with Ramaswamy, Lemon continued: “I don’t believe in flattening liars and bigots and, you know, insurgents and electoral deniers and putting them on the same footing as people telling the truth. ‘ What is right, people who abide by the Constitution?

“I think it would be a breach of my journalistic duties to do such things.”

“That’s what got me to this point and that’s what will take me further,” he continued.

“To know that I’m doing the right thing, that I’m standing up and obeying the Constitution — which my job requires of me because we’re listed in the First Amendment.”

Lemon said he now plans to spend the next few months with his fiancee Tim Malone and their dogs.

“People worry about me and worry about me more than I do themselves,” he claimed. ‘I’m doing well.’

In a CNN This Morning feature in February about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, Lemon said that women older than 40 were “past their prime,” prompting outrage from both staff and viewers.

He was later criticized again when he interviewed Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and spoke about being black in America.

His remarks aired this weekend — and were filmed earlier this month when Lemon was in Memphis to speak at an NAACP conference. This was the first time he had spoken out on camera about his fall since Lemon himself announced his release in April.

On the day of his release, Lemon tweeted, “I was informed by my agent this morning that CNN has fired me.” I’m stunned. After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly.

“At no time was there any indication that I would not be able to continue the work that I enjoyed so much at the station.”

“It’s clear that there are some bigger issues at play. With that in mind, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I’ve worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business and I wish them well.”

But the CNN anchor was embroiled in controversy in the months leading up to his fall.

In a CNN This Morning post in February, Lemon said that women older than 40 were “past their prime,” prompting outrage from staff and viewers alike.

He made the comments while debating presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s proposal that politicians aged 75 and older should take tests of their mental literacy.

Lemon, who is five years older than Haley, said the politician should approach the issue cautiously because “a woman’s prime is in her 20s, 30s and maybe 40s.”

His co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins reacted in apparent disbelief to the comment, but Lemon doubled down and insisted viewers would see he was right if they “googled.”

Both co-hosts reportedly stormed the set after the post, and Lemon’s position at the network was called into question as staff and viewers alike called for his firing, saying it was just another incident in a long line of troubling misogynist behavior by Lemon .

Sources at CNN told that women had told management to choose between them and Lemon, saying, “If Don doesn’t go, others have threatened to quit.”

“People are hurt by his actions and they won’t let him.” It’s as if every woman over 50 in America would take that as a personal insult. The female staff at CNN certainly did. “He needs to make his vacation permanent,” the source said.

However, Lemon wasn’t fired at the time, instead having to apologize to the staff and say, “What I said came out wrong and I wish I hadn’t said it.” I believe that women of all ages can do anything what they have set out to do. “The people closest to me in this organization are women.”

Lemon announced his own layoff in a tweet on April 24 after causing controversy on the network

The day after his release, Lemon stepped out with his partner Tim Malone and their three dogs near their luxury Manhattan apartment

It came hours after his former colleagues thanked him for his “contributions” to the network after hosting CNN’s “This Morning” show without him for the first time

He was later criticized again when he interviewed Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and spoke about being black in America.

“If you’re black and you live in this country, then you can’t agree with me,” Lemon snapped at Ramaswamy, an Indian-American man, before repeatedly accusing him of lying and not providing evidence.

Ramaswamy said in hindsight, “Everything comes down to what your organization’s mission shows.” “If CNN’s mission is to advance a bright, progressive orthodoxy, Don Lemon is a perfect host to go on the air and clip guests.” “

Still, just days after his firing, Lemon told Extra TV at the Time 100 gala that he was “stunned” to learn of his departure after being a fixture at the channel for 17 years, but had no “regrets.” “ cherish.

“I live my life with no regrets. “I’ve done what I’ve done and own it, and so no, I’m not looking back and I don’t want to change things in the past,” he told the outlet.

“There are many things that come unexpectedly, but I am a survivor.” I come from a strong, resilient family in Louisiana, and I have many people who support and love me.

‘Life goes on. “That’s behind me and we’ll see what happens in the future.”

On the day of his release, Lemon tweeted, “I was informed this morning by my agent that CNN has fired me. ‘I’m stunned’

Lemon rose to fame during the Trump years as CNN’s prime-time liberal mouthpiece, led by former CEO Jeff Zucker.

But after Trump left office and CNN’s ratings began to decline, Zucker was removed and his successor, Licht, vowed to bring CNN back to more balanced journalism.

Last November, Lemon was relegated to CNN This Morning, where he was broadcasting alongside 40-year-old Harlow and 30-year-old rising star Collins, and he reportedly spent the following months complaining about his new post – which eventually became led to his dismissal.

Soon after, Licht was also fired after publishing a disastrous article in which he expressed doubts about the news channel and its reporting.

But Lemon dismissed the criticism of CNN when The Atlantic reporter Tim Alberta addressed it, saying, “A lot of people are talking about what happened on Monday morning” at the network.

“You have to remember the time we were in. Every day we were attacked by the previous government.’ And that’s not an exaggeration… We had bombs sent into this very network.’

Lemon rose to fame during the Trump years as CNN’s liberal prime-time mouthpiece, led by former CEO Jeff Zucker.

Last November, Lemon was relegated from his prime-time anchor spot to CNN This Morning

Zucker, pictured in 2019, is reportedly considering a return to CNN and will “probably make an offer” for the network, an insider claimed

According to insiders, Warner Bros. Discovery is now considering selling the ailing network — including to the previously ousted Sugar.

The 58-year-old is reportedly preparing to capitalize on ex-CEO Chris Light’s surprise sacking in a bid to take over the station in time for the 2024 presidential election.

However, insiders claimed that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s future plans aren’t clear yet and there are several options for the mogul on the table.

In addition to potentially remaining in his current position, there could be a groundbreaking deal pending ongoing merger negotiations between NBCUniversal’s parent company Comcast and Paramount.

If that merger, which has been in the pipeline since 2021, goes through, Comcast would reportedly seek to sell CBS News to avoid antitrust violations.

In this scenario, it was predicted that Zaslav’s Warner Bros. Discovery could attempt to unite CNN and CBS in a blockbuster merger.

“I could see a sale next year,” said an industry insider. “Once Warner reduces its debt, it will be more willing to sell non-core assets, including CNN.”

Another media investor told The Post that for the best returns, CNN should be “absorbed” by a company that already owns numerous cable channels — a strategy that would both cut costs and provide expansive programming power.

Another industry insider working on media mergers added that Zaslav’s public firing of Licht after just a year in office is a “sign that he’s preparing the cable news channel for a sale.”

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – Australia’s highest court on Monday dismissed Russia’s request for an injunction that would have prevented the Moscow embassy from being vacated from a location in the country’s capital, Canberra. A man who had occupied the site for more than a week in a portable hut in an apparent act of Russian defiance left the site shortly thereafter.

Supreme Court Justice Jayne Jagot described Russia’s constitutional challenge to a lease-termination law as a week. “I don’t think (Russia’s) case is … a strong case. In fact, it’s difficult to identify a serious issue that needs to be looked at,” Jagot said.

Parliament passed an emergency law on June 15 ending Russia’s lease of the largely vacant building for security reasons, saying the new embassy would have been too close to the parliament building.

Government attorney Tim Begbie said Russia appears to be asking for an injunction to protect its own security and intelligence interests.

“It’s not just that they didn’t make any convincing arguments for invalidating the Constitution in that motion, they didn’t make any arguments for it at all,” Begbie said.

Russian lawyer Elliot Hyde had argued that Ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky would not have confidence in the integrity and security of a consular building already on the site if the embassy was not allowed to retain possession pending a decision on challenging the validity of the lease termination may be.

Elliot said a man who has been living in a portable shack on the site since at least last week was a security guard guarding the site. The man had been described in the media as a Russian diplomat.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and expected the Russians to leave the compound.

“The court has clarified that at this time there is no legal basis for a Russian presence to continue at the site and we expect the Russian Federation to act in accordance with the court’s decision,” Albanese told reporters.

The story goes on

The security guard exited the fenced area after the decision and didn’t say a word to reporters as he left the gate. He was carrying bags and was picked up by a car with diplomatic plates.

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier, Russia had accused Australia of “russophobic hysteria” for terminating the lease on land in Canberra’s Diplomatic Quarter where Moscow planned to build a new embassy. The current Russian Embassy is located in the Canberra suburb of Griffith and its operations will not be affected.

Don Rothwell, an international law expert at the Australian National University, said an examination of the published list of accredited Russian diplomats in Australia found that there were only three male diplomats who could be the man guarding embassy grounds.

Given Elliot’s description of the squatter as a security guard, Rothwell doubted the man enjoyed diplomatic immunity that could have prevented Australian authorities from removing him from the site.

With him gone, police could avoid any further legal challenge by securing the compound and preventing any Russian diplomat from taking his place, Rothwell said.

Australian Federal Police last week refused to explain why the man had not been removed from the disputed site as an intruder.

The legal battle over the site marks a new low in strained relations between Russia and one of Ukraine’s most generous non-NATO supporters.

Albanese on Monday announced an additional A$110 million ($74 million) in aid to Ukraine, including 70 military vehicles and 28 M113 tracked armored personnel carriers. The aid also includes ammunition and AU$10 million (US$6.7 million) in humanitarian aid for shelter, health services, clean water and sanitation.

The new aid package brings Australia’s total aid to Ukraine to AU$790 million (US$528 million) since Russia’s invasion last year.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who is also Defense Secretary, said the conflict was likely to last long-term.

“We will stand by Ukraine until Ukraine can resolve this conflict on its terms,” ​​Marles said.