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Humans are now better connected than ever before, thanks to modern conveniences like highways, jumbo jets, social media, and smartphones. At the same time, though, wild animals around the world are increasingly disconnected, trapped in islands of wilderness amid a growing sea of people. Habitat loss has become the No. 1 threat to Earth’s wildlife. It’s the main reason why 85 percent of all species on the IUCN Red List are endangered, and why the planet is on the brink of a mass extinction event, with species now vanishing at hundreds of times the historical background rate....

The global pandemic drastically changed the entertainment industry forever. Last year, the rapid growth of coronavirus cases forced numerous delays throughout Hollywood, shifting the release dates of big-budget blockbusters while also putting a pause on several productions. This unprecedented development forced everyone to adjust to the so-called new normal, with mask-wearing and social distancing being implemented around the globe. As for the movie industry, it led to the creation of bubble environments for production combined with (almost) daily COVID-19 testings to move forward....

Soft drinks are the beverage choice for millions of Americans, but these sugar-loaded drink bombs increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. Sticking to water is the obvious solution, but if you are looking to break a soda habit going cold turkey can be taxing. For those occasions, homemade versions that rely on wholesome ingredients and much less sugar can be your friend. Likewise, you may not be much of a soda consumer to begin with, but drinking fun things is nice; and in moderation, wholesome soda alternatives can add some spark to a party or a hot summer afternoon....

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty might be years away, but Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu is already hyping up why the Avengers’ next adventure will be “memorable” and “special” with MCU director Destin Daniel Cretton in the director’s chair. Cretton’s hiring for Avengers 5’s directing gig earned much praise from several Marvel stars including Liu and Captain Marvel actress Brie Larson. These initial reactions are a good sign for The Kang Dynasty, considering that this is Cretton’s first time directing an Avengers flick....

Just over one month from the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fans have been treated to a new official trailer of the Black Panther sequel. After the tragic loss of leading man Chadwick Boseman to colon cancer in 2020, the movie has been one of the most anticipated projects on the Marvel Studios slate. Director Ryan Coogler and actors Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett return to pay tribute to their fallen king and carry on his legacy both on and off the screen....

When the United Church of Christ voted to divest from fossil fuels, the decision was mostly couched in terms of ethics and “creation care.” For a religious institution, that line of reasoning makes sense. But with organizations ranging from the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation to the British Medical Association voting to move their money from fossil fuels, the conversation is now increasingly shifting from the ethical to the financial argument for divestment....

After making his MCU debut in 2021’s Black Widow, Red Guardian actor David Harbour has one request for his next time out as the Russian Marvel hero. Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov is already set to hop back into the Marvel Studios action with an appearance in the upcoming Thunderbolts film on the books. The Stranger Things actor teased the “chatter” around his character’s future, as he joins the likes of Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and Wyatt Russell in his first true Marvel ensemble film....

Recently, the internet was set ablaze thanks to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s Jason Momoa. In a new video on social media, the actor revealed that Ben Affleck was in the midst of reshoots for the film and was set to return as Batman. But what could he be shooting? Last audiences heard, Affleck was done with the role. Instead, it seemed the DCEU’s Bruce Wayne was set to be Michael Keaton for the foreseeable future....

Disney+ has injected both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the galaxy far, far away with a shot of adrenaline that they are still riding high to this day. Shows like Loki and The Mandalorian have allowed both Marvel and Star Wars to command conversation for month-long spans, snowballing their momentum with each weekly release.For over a year, Marvel and Star Wars have passed each other like ships in the night on Disney+....

Since it was officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 that WandaVision would directly connect to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans have speculated what will bridge the two projects besides Elizabeth Olsen joining Benedict Cumberbatch in his multiverse sequel. Much of the speculation has revolved around the fact that WandaVision deals with the Scarlet Witch manipulating reality, which she may end up breaking, which would lead to the central conflict at the heart of the Doctor Strange sequel....

When a much-awaited eagle egg hatches, a tiny cottony ball of fluff slowly emerges. This fuzzy, wobbly handful of cute is utterly dependent on its doting parents. Soon, however, the white fluff gives way to brown feathers and the bird tests its wings, soaring and growing and eventually becoming a regal image of its parents. Here’s a look at how tiny eaglets make the remarkable transformation from hairy hatchlings to majestic adult birds....

After several Multiversal affairs in Loki and What If…?, Marvel Studios’ small screen branch is set to go back to Earth (literally) with the upcoming debut of Hawkeye. Hawkeye will feature the return of Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton and the arrival of the MCU’s newest hero in the form of Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the story will follow Clint’s time in New York with his family during Christmas, but the unexpected arrival of a Ronin impersonator (who is later revealed to be Kate) forces him to stay in the Big Apple to sort out his past mistakes....

The Star Wars prequel trilogy was all about Anakin Skywalker and how he came to become the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader in the original movies. Sadly, fans only saw Hayden Christensen in the iconic helmet for a few brief seconds. Since then, the character has seen a few appearances across the media, including in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels, and the recent hit game Jedi: Fallen Order. In all of those outings, Christensen didn’t play any part within the story....

Despite being almost completely unheard of before making their MCU debut in 2014, the Guardians of the Galaxy have grown to be among the most beloved heroes. Director James Gunn put his own stamp on the family of intergalactic outlaws across two solo installments, and he will soon continue that journey in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and a Disney+ Holiday Special. The Guardians have proven integral to the recent MCU story, as Zoe Saldana’s Gamora and Karen Gillan’s Nebula had close ties to Thanos and the end of the Infinity Saga....

The situation over at Warner Bros. has been quite messy ever since Discovery officially took over and David Zaslav became the new CEO. One of his first moves in the position was a decision that astonished everyone: he took Batgirl, which was nearly finished, and scrapped it for tax credits.To make matters even worse, he then started to do the same thing to existing projects on HBO Max, completely nixing them from the platform....

Now that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has concluded its six-episode run on Disney+, the next Marvel series in the pipeline features a familiar character in a whole other place and time. Loki starring Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson is set to release on June 11, 2021 on Disney+. But as opposed to the slightly more heroic Loki who died by Thanos’ hand in Avengers: Infinity War, this new series focuses on the Loki variant who escaped with the Tesseract in New York during Avengers: Endgame....

Loki star Jonathan Majors recently explained one of the only downsides he feels about being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Majors is set to take on one of the most important roles MCU history as he embodies Kang the Conqueror, the ultimate big bad of the Multiverse Saga, following Josh Brolin’s efforts as Thanos. In the Summer of 2021, he took on his first challenge as part of this role, playing a wild Kang Variant in Loki named He Who Remains and helping to off the Multiversal insanity that followed throughout Phase 4....

Middling reception from critics to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania indicated that Marvel Studios’ Phase 5 is off to a shaky start.After a lackluster Phase 4, much has been made about the significance of Ant-Man 3 as it kicks off Phase 5 of the MCU. Peyton Reed’s latest MCU epic has been described as laying the groundwork for this next era of Marvel Studios storytelling, setting up what is being called an “all-timer antagonist” in Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror....

The Marvel Studios Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con was an MCU fan’s equivalent to Christmas Day. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige made some huge announcements about future phases of the MCU, revealed a few new titles and teasers, and dropped the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. What wasn’t revealed or discussed, however, was the X-Men in the MCU. Since Ms. Marvel’s finale established that Kamala Khan is a mutant, and Comic-Con is typically where Feige reveals the MCU’s future plans, audiences were expecting some X-Men news out of Hall H....

The next time you go for a walk in the woods to enjoy the beauty of nature, don’t worry about whether you can see the forest for the trees. If you want to see the grandeur of nature in all of its minute details, don’t look up or even beside you. Look down. It’s on the forest floor at your feet — or maybe even under them if you’ve wandered off the beaten path — where Mother Nature has chosen to show off her most unusual floral artistry and, in some cases, even a sense of humor....