Arctic cold kills tree insects, and more

Arctic cold kills tree insects

This winter’s arctic temperatures have had at least one beneficial impact: They’ve killed about 80 percent of the ash borer insects destroying ash trees in the Midwest, as well as large percentages of gypsy moths, the hemlock woolly adelgid, corn earworms, and the citrus-destroying cottony cushion scale.

The Washington Post

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Study sees decline in far-right “hate” groups

The number of far-right “hate” groups—including neo-Nazi groups, racist skinheads, and chapters of the Ku Klux Klan—declined slightly last year, from an all-time high of 1,007 in 2012 to 939 in 2013, according to a study by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Some white supremacists “were demoralized” by President Obama’s re-election, the study said.

CNN.com

Another Oscar loss for Leo

Leonardo DiCaprio has been nominated for four Oscars, but has lost every time. After he failed to win the Best Actor award for The Wolf of Wall Street this week, he was widely mocked on Twitter alongside the hashtag “#PoorLeo.”

New York Daily News

Regional airlines face pilot shortage

U.S. regional airlines are facing a pilot shortage due to low salaries. Starting pilot salaries at 14 U.S. regional carriers average $22,400 a year, with some paying just $15,000—that is, the minimum wage.

The Wall Street Journal

Preparing students for success

While 96 percent of university chief academic officers said they were confident in their institutions’ ability to prepare students for success in the workforce, only 11 percent of business leaders “strongly agree.”

Slate.com