Fairmount CA

Stuffed animals were given early this morning to children after a Lafayette apartment fire affected five kids. American Red Cross volunteers have responded to help the families, which also include nine adults. The fire occurred about 4:30 am at 429 and 427 Unit A Daffodil Loop in Lafayette. Among the services that have been provided are shelter, clothing, food, cleaning supplies and referrals to other community partners.

The Acadiana Area Chapter of the Red Cross has responded to several blazes since last Tuesday, including four fires in four days that affected 18 people. Earlier this month, the Red Cross assisted 35 people in one week. You can make a difference for our neighbors in need by donating via www.acadianaredcross.org.

The American Red Cross is doing everything we can to ensure that when anyone is affected by disaster, we are there. We need your help to continue to providing the level of service that people need and rightfully expect from us – a safe and dry place to stay, food, emotional support and many other kinds of assistance – whenever and wherever disaster strikes. Any donation is deeply appreciated and will greatly help those affected by disaster

Though adding smart collars to animals in the wild doesnt do anything for the animal, it helps us humans better understand their habits. Which hopefully means we end up helping the animals.

Traditional collars have used GPS before but these new ones, which are expected to be implemented in the next few years, use GPS and accelerometers to more accurately measure the animals daily life (running, sleeping, jumping, eating, etc.). Heres how Terrie Williams, a co-investigator on the project, explained it to the New York Times:

What you end up with is a diary for the animal, a 24-hour diary that says he spent this much time sleeping, and we know from the GPS where that was. Then he woke up and went for a walk over here. He caught something over here. He ate something and we know what it was because the signatures we get for a deer kill vs. a rabbit kill are very different.

The researchers have established data points with captured mountain lions and plan to put out more of these smart collars in the near future. The goal of the smart collars is to eventually predict the behavior of wild animals. Like getting inside their brains and motivations by studying their habits. Read more about the fascinating project over at the NY Times. [NY Times, Image Credit: Matthew Staver/New York Times]

The Debt makes Nazi-hunting pay

Focus Features
Jessica Chastain stars as a younger secret agent Rachel Singer in John Madden’s espionage thriller “The Debt.” Helen Mirren portrays Singer at retirement age, drawn back to complete unfinished business.

(CBS/AP)

TRIPOLI, Libya – Libyan rebels believe they have an idea of where Muammar Qaddafi is.

The rebels are hunting for Qaddafi amid fears that he can continue to stoke violence even after being forced to flee the Libyan capital, Tripoli, last week.

Ali Tarhouni, a minister in the rebel Transitional National Council, had originally told reporters Tuesday that we have a good idea where he is. We dont have any doubt that we will catch him. However, that earlier statement has since been toned down.

Nothing was elaborated further.

Libyan rebels also pledged Tuesday to launch an assault within days on Qaddafis hometown, the ousted strongmans last major bastion of support.

The rebels and NATO said that Qaddafi loyalists were negotiating the fate of Sirte, a heavily militarized city some 250 miles east of the capital, Tripoli.

Qaddafi spied on Libyans with international help
Qaddafis daughter gives birth in Algeria
Search for Qaddafi goes on as family flees

Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the Transitional National Council, said that negotiations with forces in Sirte would end Saturday after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, when the rebels would act decisively and militarily.

We cant wait more than that, he told reporters in the eastern city of Benghazi. We seek and support any efforts to enter these places peacefully. At the end, it might be decided militarily. I hope it will not be the case.

Col. Roland Lavoie, a NATO spokesman, said its possible Sirte might surrender without a fight.

We have seen dialogues in several villages that were freed Im not saying with no hostilities, but with minimal hostilities, he said.

Lavoie said NATO would continue its mission as long as civilians in the country are under threat, although the area around the capital, Tripoli, is now essentially free.

Lavoie appeared to struggle to explain how NATO strikes were protecting civilians at this stage in the conflict. Asked about NATOs assertion that it hit 22 armed vehicles near Sirte on Monday, he was unable to say how the vehicles were threatening civilians, or whether they were in motion or parked.

The rebels also demanded that Algeria return Qaddafis wife and three of his children for trial after they fled, raising tensions between the neighboring countries.

Safiya Qaddafi, her daughter Aisha and sons Hannibal and Mohammed entered Algeria on Monday, while Qaddafi and several other sons remain at large. In Washington, the Obama administration said it had no indication that Qaddafi himself has left the country.