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A woodpecker carrying a weasel on its back is taking the internet by storm.

However, the photo is leaving us with some big questions. Is it real? How can it carry such a big weight and fly? Is anything stronger in the animal kingdom?

There is a only one person to turn to in times like this... Deadly 60 presenter Steve Backshall.

"For the bird to be able to fly is pretty extraordinary, but not unheard of, so I have no reason to doubt it."

Steve may have no reason to question the image being real, but some people on social media think it's a fake.

"If the image is real, it's remarkable, but nothing in it is totally unbelievable.

"For the green woodpecker to be able to fly away would be extraordinary, but a young or female weasel would be a pretty lightweight passenger."

He told us that he is a bit of a fan of the creature apparently taking a ride.

"The weasel is pretty fascinating," he says, adding that it was probably trying to attack the bird.

"It can kill things much bigger than itself, so it's an impressive little creature in itself when you think about its size."

Steve's hunch is backed by the photographer who took the shot on Monday - Martin Le-May.

He said the bird was making a "distressed squawking" during its struggle in the sky above Hornchurch Country Park, east London.

This image has left the curious minds at Newsbeat with lots of questions, mainly what is stronger than a woodpecker in comparison with its size.

Steve says: "The champion weight lifter amongst animals is the rhinoceros beetle, they can withstand 850 times their body weight bearing down on them. That's the champion carrier."

We've done some pretty amateur maths and worked out how strong that is compared to a human and we reckon it's like a human carrying an Airbus 320 plane full of 174 passengers.

If you want to check out our sums to see how we came up with that, we took the average weight of a male in the UK, multiplied that by 850 and looked to see what weighed the same.

Perhaps not thoroughly scientific but it does show how weak we humans are in comparison.

Steve told Newsbeat that humans just can't compare to the likes of a beetle on size-to-weight ratio.

"Invertebrates generally have a greater strength to body weight ratio than other animals.

"Leafcutter ants carry vast sail-like chunks of leaf in their jaws; often with another small ant on top to act as their guardian, protecting them from parasitic wasps."

It all makes us feel a bit puny. However Steve doesn't think we should worry about it too much.

"We're not necessarily weak in comparison to other animals, but everything in evolution is about trade offs. Having a big brain consumes energy, having dexterous fingers means they are less powerful."

Nature is full of creatures we might consider freaks. Steve says there are a few we should all check out.

"One we should look out in the weasel family would be the wolverine, which is not much bigger than a badger, but can kill an adult moose by tearing out its achilles tendon.

"Or check out the sea otter, another weasel which uses tools to smash open crabs and mussels on its chest.

Steve reckons the sea is full of great creatures with super strength.

"How about the sperm whale, a free-diving mammal that can dive to two miles of depth on a single breath, and stay down for two hours?"

And one of the most amazing things about sperm wales is that "the males can produce bursts of 220 decibel sound that can be used to paralyse their prey."

Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/31710443

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Elmira kids read Dr. Seuss, love book use, no excuse

Jeff Murray, jmurray@stargazette.com | @SGJeffMurray 1:30 p.m. EST March 2, 2015

Olivia Stanley, a senior at Notre Dame High School, reads Dr. Seuss to first grade students at Diven Elementary School in Elmira on Monday.(Photo: JEFF MURRAY / STAFF PHOTO)

Story Highlights

• Notre Dame students rhyme their way into the hearts and minds of school children
• Notre Dame presented Diven Elementary School with a new bookshelf made by a former student
• The bookshelf was filled with children's books collected during a book drive

It isn't a recognized holiday yet but children at Diven Elementary School on Monday celebrated the birthday of author Dr. Seuss, and they got some help from students at Notre Dame High School.

As part of the celebration, Notre Dame students unveiled a bookshelf that was constructed by 2014 graduate Thomas Smith, and painted by Service Learning and Advanced Art students Brooke Harvey and Marlene Makowski.

Notre Dame students also held a book drive to collect new or gently used children's books to stock the new bookshelf.

Also Monday, Notre Dame students read books written by Dr. Seuss whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel to students in pre-K through second grade.

"It's nice to read to them and reach out to them. I want to work with kids some day," said Notre Dame Senior Olivia Stanley, of Columbia Cross Roads. "It's good for them to know reading is important. Some kids don't think reading is fun but it is."

Stanley read to a group of rapt students in teacher Summer Berry's first grade classroom.

Berry was grateful for the extra help.

"This partnership is extremely beneficial to our students of our school. One thing many of them are lacking is having someone outside of class to read to or to be read to," she said. "It's really invaluable to have someone here and read to the children and see how much joy we can get from reading. Dr. Seuss is a perfect author to celebrate. Children can relate to his silly stories, but they also read them."

Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray.

Read or Share this story: http://stargaz.tt/1AwSwTD

Source: http://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2015/03/02/diven-dr-seuss/24265049/

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Eric Wood, other Buffalo Bills players react to LeSean McCoy for Kiko Alonso trade

Eric Wood

Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood (70) runs on the the field before an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert) (Bill Wippert)

Orchard Park, N.Y. The Buffalo Bills sent shockwaves through the NFL on Tuesday night when they traded linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for 2013 first-round pick LeSean McCoy.

Within minutes, NFL Network and ESPN were breaking down the trade while seemingly everyone on Twitter had an opinion. The players still on the Bills' roster had quite the reactions to losing a star defensive player and gaining another superstar on offense.

Here's how Buffalo players reacted in the moments following the noteworthy deal.

Source: http://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/index.ssf/2015/03/eric_wood_other_buffalo_bills_players_react_to_lesean_mccoy_for_kiko_alonso_trad.html

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Texans begin exploring options on how to replace Andre Johnson

How will the Texans replace veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson, the greatest player in franchise history?

The normal ways: Free agency and the draft.

Green Bays Randall Cobb tops the potential 2015 free-agent class and could command a contract of at least $10 million annually. Cobb collected 91 catches for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns last season for the Packers, who came a couple minutes away from advancing to the Super Bowl.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) Cooper was Alabamas biggest offensive weapon by far, and one of the nations most prolific receivers. (AP Photo / Jonathan Bachman, File)

Philadelphias Jeremy Maclin (85 catches, 1,318 yards, 10 TDs in 2014) had a career season in 2014 and is entering the prime of his career after recovering from ACL surgery.

San Franciscos Michael Crabtree, Baltimores Torrey Smith and Jacksonvilles Cecil Shorts are among top receivers who could also be available on the open market.

With Johnson set to make $10.5 million in guaranteed money and count $16.1 million against the Texans 2015 salary cap, the Texans could add a comparable receiver at less cost in the short and long term. By releasing Johnson, they would enter free agency with almost $22 million in cap space.

The 2015 draft class is again deep at receiver, initially appearing to match an especially strong 2014 group that included the New York Giants Odell Beckham, Buffalos Sammy Watkins and Tampa Bays Mike Evans. Kevin White (West Virginia) and Amari Cooper (Alabama) are expected to be off the board when the Texans make the No. 16 overall pick this year. But Louisvilles DeVante Parker, Arizona States Jaelen Strong and Missouris Dorial Green-Beckham should be available, with premier talent remaining in rounds 2-3.

Last December, Johnson proudly linked his football future with the only team hes ever played for.

Thats the dream. Thats what I hope for, Johnson said. When youve spent a lot of time somewhere, you hope that you can finish your career there and walk off into the sunset in that one place.

The longtime Texan, who is already building his retirement house in Houston, will now seek a new team while the Texans explore how to best replace No. 80 in 2015.

brian.smith@chron.com

twitter.com/ChronBrianSmith

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Source: http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2015/03/texans-begin-exploring-options-on-how-to-replace-andre-johnson/

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After '60 Minutes' report, Lumber Liquidators shares do not open

Shares of Lumber Liquidators did not open for trading Monday morning following a report on 60 Minutes Sunday night that the companys laminate flooring made in China may not meet Californias health and safety standards.

The shares had been down 25 percent in pre-market trading. The shares were halted and the New York Stock Exchange said there was news pending.

The 60 Minutes report said that Lumber Liquidators laminate flooring made in China contains high levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen.

Denny Larson, executive director of nonprofit group Global Community Monitor, and environmental lawyer Richard Drury purchased boxes of laminate flooring from several retailers with Californiastores, including Lumber Liquidators, and had them sent to three certified labs for testing and found that Lumber Liquidators US-made laminate flooring had acceptable levels of formaldehyde, but every sample of its Chinese-made laminate flooring failed to meet California formaldehyde emissions standards, according to the report.

In addition, 60 Minutes bought 31 boxes of Lumber Liquidators Chinese-made laminate flooring at stores in Virginia, Florida, Texas, Illinois and New York to see how those tested. Samples were sent for testing at two certified labs. The report said that only one of the 31 samples of Chinese-made laminate flooring was compliant with California formaldehyde emissions standards.While flooring is legally allowed to contain formaldehyde, the 60 Minutes report said that California has strict standards for how much of the chemical the core boards in laminate flooring can emit.

Lumber Liquidators founder and Chairman Tom Sullivan said in an interview with 60 Minutes that the company is not required by law to test its finished products like 60 Minutes did.

Lumber Liquidators complies with applicable regulations for its products, including California standards for formaldehyde emissions for composite wood products, it said in a statement.These attacks are driven by a small group of short-selling investors who are working together for the sole purpose of making money by lowering our stock price, the company said. Lumber Liquidators said that it would fight these false attacks on all fronts.

We stand by every single plank of wood and laminate we sell all around the country, the company added.

On Feb. 25 Lumber Liquidators stock declined 26.4 percent, to $50.63, after President and CEO Robert Lynch said during a conference call that the company believed 60 Minutes was going to feature our company in an unfavorable light with regard to our sourcing and product quality, specifically related to laminates. Lynch said that Lumber Liquidators would vigorously challenge any false allegations or factual incorrect presentations.

Lumber Liquidators also disclosed in a regulatory filing on Feb. 25 that the Department of Justice may seek criminal charges against it under the Lacey Act, a US law that includes a ban on illegally sourced wood products and in many cases requires businesses to provide a lot of details about their wood shipments.

Lumber Liquidators said in the filing that it will continue to communicate with the Justice Department regarding its intentions and possible courses of action in this matter.

Last month Lumber Liquidators announced that it invested in a wood products quality testing lab that is housed within its new distribution center outside Richmond, Vir. A press release the company put out stated that the lab has two temperature- and humidity-controlled conditioning rooms, and two formaldehyde emission chambers that mirror the capabilities of the California AirResources Board and other emission testing facilities.

Shares of Toano, Vir.-based Lumber Liquidators closed Friday at $51.86 and had dipped to $38.91 a new 52-week low in pre-market trading.

Source: http://nypost.com/2015/03/02/after-60-minutes-report-lumber-liquidators-shares-do-not-open/

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Faith leaders, friends, family gather for vigil in support of Kelly Gissendaner

More than 100 people gathered Sunday night at a chapel on the campus of Emory University to participate in a vigil for death row inmate Kelly Gissendaner, who is scheduled to be executed Monday night. (Staff Photo: Tyler Estep)

ATLANTA Kelly Gissendaner was, is and always will be responsible for her husbands murder. No one gathered at Emory Universitys Cannon Chapel on Sunday night 23 hours before her scheduled execution posited otherwise.

The vigil drew in well over 100 people, including religious leaders, former prisoners and two of Gissendaners children. Their goal was simply to bring attention to a different side of Gissendaner and to make a last-minute plea to save her life.

Prisoners can be rehabilitated, Rev. Cathy Zappa said. People can do horrible things in their past and change. It does not undo what theyve done, but I just think that thats something that people need to know. It gives us all hope.

Gissendaner, 46, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7 p.m. Monday at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied her clemency application last week, meaning that, barring a miracle, the execution will go on as planned.

On Sunday night, though, prayers were prayed and songs were sung, Bible verses recited. Stories were told about Gissendaner a woman described not as a cold-blooded murderer but a person overflowing with remorse, love and a willingness to help others.

People like Zappa, who counseled Gissendaner for years, and Nikki Rogers, a former prisoner who credits Gissendaner with preventing her suicide, spoke.

Rogers broke down in tears after delivering a spoken word-style poem.

Youre gonna live, you told me that day, she said. Your words cut away my rope. Well Kelly, today I shout those same words back at you. Youre going to live today! For sure! I believe it! Its not over!

Gissendaner is convicted of plotting the Feb. 7, 1997, murder of her husband, Doug. With her advice and guidance and with murder weapons she provided Gissendaners boyfriend abducted, beat and stabbed the victim in the woods near Dacula.

Gissendaner received the death penalty, but those gathered on a quiet Atlanta campus Sunday night argued that the world is better off with her in it.

She has lived her life in a way that is doing everything she can to make up for it, knowing good and well shell never make up for it, Zappa said. She has no illusion that she could ever make up for it. But killing her is not going to bring anyone back.

As of Sunday night, 381 faith leaders from the state of Georgia had signed a petition asking for Gissendaners sentence to be commuted to life in prison. Another 119 leaders from outside the state had signed it as well.

Nearly 14,000 laypeople had signed a separate petition.

Zappa visited Gissendaner in prison Sunday afternoon. When asked what message could be delivered to the outside world, the inmate told Zappa to share the following words.

Im walking in the light, she said, and Im holding onto my hope, faith and dignity to the very end of this.

Source: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/mar/01/faith-leaders-friends-family-gather-for-vigil-in/

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Miesha Tate finds inspiration in dominant performances of UFC champ Ronda ...

Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey

Miesha Tatesaysshes inspired, not jealous, when Ronda Rouseyflips the sport on its head with her spectacular performances.

Tate and the UFC womens bantamweight champion have a long history. Theyve fought twice before once in the UFC and once in Strikeforce with Rousey winning both titlefights with her trademark armbar.

Both fighters have moved forward fromtheir most recent collision, at UFC 168 in December 2013. Tate (16-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is currently riding a three-fight UFC winning streak, and Rousey (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) just made history with a 14-second title defenseagainst Cat Zingano at UFC 184 this pastSaturday.

Rouseys three fights since the latest Tate fight have lasted a combined 96 seconds. That level of dominance would force some to shy away from another encounter, but Tate saidshe draws motivation from Rouseys unmatched efforts.

Im not only impressed, Im inspired, Tate said on UFC 184s post-fight show on FOX Sports 1. Every time I watch her fight, I realize shes on such a different level, and I want to get on that level. Thats what I want. I want to get on that level. I want to figure out what it is whether I have to train 12 hours a day I want to figure out how to catch up. Shes a phenomenal athlete, shes a phenomenal fighter, and I want to get on that level.

Tate has made it no secret her goal is to eventually earn a third fight with Rousey. She wants to hand the Olympic medalist her first MMA defeat. Rousey already had an aura of invincibility prior to UFC 184, and while the shockingly quick submission of Zingano only added to it, Tate still doesnt see her longtime rival as unbeatable.

I love fighting Ronda Rousey because I think she pulls the best fighter out of me, Tate said. Thats what its really about. For me, I want to be the best fighter I can be and the best person I can be. She motivates me to do both, and I love it. I love the challenge, I love everything shes been able to do for the sport, and I love being part of that.

Although Tate has suffered two definitive losses to Rowdy, shes performed more competitively than most. Tate had some advantageous positions in both fights, and in the second contest, she lasted longer than all of Rouseys other opponents combined.

While Rousey submittedZingano so quickly, Tate said the fight ended exactly how she predicted just much quicker.

I predicted she would win with a first-round armbar, but I didnt think it was going to go quite so fast, Tate said. Cat Zingano wanted to make a statement and wanted to come out with a fast start. Everyone was criticizing the slow start and it led to her demise. She ended up getting that great throw then made some mistakes from there.

Despite Tates desire for a third fight with Rousey,fellow fighters such as Beth Correia, Jessica Eye, Cristiane Justino and Holly Holmare also queued up.

Despite wins in her past three bouts, the most recent of which was an upset of Sara McMann at UFC 183, Tate said shes perfectly content taking the slow climb back.

I definitely want all the fans to feel like Ive earned that (third fight), Tate said. I know that Im on a three-fight win streak. I know that Ive fought Ronda twice, but the first one was way back in Strikeforce. I showed improvement in the second fight, took her to the third round.

No one else has been able to do that, but at the same time, I dont want anyone to say, Oh, theyre just giving it to her. I want to prove myself, I want to earn it, and I will fight off all the other No. 1 contenders until they have no other option to let us fight.

For more on UFC 184, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, UFC 184, News, UFC

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Source: http://mmajunkie.com/2015/03/miesha-tate-finds-inspiration-in-dominant-performances-of-ufc-champ-ronda-rousey

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