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Moments before the sun set behind Namibia’s burnt-orange mountains, a large truck rumbled onto the desert landscape below. Inside were ostriches, springbok, and oryx, restless and stamping around their transport crate. Members of the local tribe and a handful of journalists watched from safari vehicles as conservationists readied the doors. Soon, the animals would charge into their new home: the Orange River Karoo conservation area.

Wildlife translocation projects don’t always go well; sometimes, the animals don’t survive the journey. For the Orange River-Karoo Conservation Area, a nonprofit working to restore 2.4 million acres in the country’s south, this inaugural release was years in the making—and they were prepared. Once the doors finally opened and each group of animals clumsily stumbled out before striding across the land as if they’d always been there, any potential worry dissolved. One emotion was unmistakable on every face: joy.

“Honestly, it was one of the happiest days ever, in terms of how many years and days have gone into getting us to where we are today,” said Andreia Pawel, cofounder of ORKCA.

The Orange River-Karoo region has been around for millennia, but its ecosystem suffered greatly in the last two centuries as southern Namibia lost 90% of its wildlife to poaching, mining, and the conversion of open land to livestock farming, according to ORKCA. Where 10,000 elephants and 3,000 hippos once roamed the region, there are now zero—the largest extinction of megafauna in sub-Saharan Africa. A robust population of 20 million springbok has dropped to just 5,000, while giraffe numbers tumbled from 6,000 to 30. These metrics are equally bleak for the land’s historic predators. There were once 2,000 leopards throughout the landscape. Today, there are just 10 remaining. Lion numbers have cratered from 3,000 to total extinction.

Even so, the story of conservation work is hardly one of defeat, Atmos reports. While many experts have completely written off the Orange River-Karoo, as is the case for many desert landscapes, ORKCA formed in 2020 when its members recognized the potential for restoration. Three years later, the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, which since 2019 has committed itself to the protection of the planet, also recognized ORKCA’s vision, and decided to aid in the organization’s first wildlife release.

The unique ecology of the region spans three different biomes: the desert, the driest of biomes; the Nama Karoo, characterized by low shrubs and rugged terrain; and the Succulent Karoo, the world’s only arid biodiversity hotspot—making the Orange River-Karoo an ecotone, a natural crossroads and a “catalyst for evolution.”

“When you’re talking about research in the far south, in the desert, everyone laughs and asks you what is there?” said

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Shootings have killed more than 800,000 people and injured over 2 million others in the United States since the start of this century. In March, dozens of violence prevention leaders convened in Chicago at the JAMA Summit on Reducing Firearm Violence and Harms to discuss steps to reduce gun violence, according to a new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The report, published on Nov. 3, shows that the 60 leaders who attended the summit represented multiple disciplines. They included emergency physicians, public health scholars, psychiatrists, historians, and social workers. The summit was the first of its kind presented by the medical journal. Its purpose: to develop a roadmap for substantially curtailing the number of shooting deaths and injuries over the next 15 years.

“We’ve gained a lot of knowledge and can point to a variety of things that seem to reduce gun violence, but still, there’s a lot we don’t know, and there’s still a lot of challenges,” Daniel Webster, a public health scholar at Johns Hopkins University who has studied gun violence for over 30 years, told The Trace.

Gun violence as a major public health issue has received more attention and federal funding in recent years. In 2024, then-U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued his office’s first-ever warning about gun violence’s far-reaching effects, reinvigorating prevention efforts.

But since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, his administration has rolled back much of that progress. Layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have decimated the unit responsible for studying and helping to prevent shootings, and federal funding for research and community programs has dwindled.

During the summit, leaders called for a “research revolution” on preventing gun-related harms as one of the five steps needed to improve public safety by 2040, according to the report. The other steps emphasized strengthening communities, reframing gun injury as a preventable issue, taking a whole-of-government and society approach to addressing violence, and harnessing regulatory and technological opportunities responsibly.

Dr. Stephen Hargarten, an emergency physician and professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, has spent his career studying how regulatory and technological innovation can help reduce firearm deaths.

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Emergency hardship financial aid gives you fast financial support when an unexpected crisis leaves you unable to cover essential expenses. You can get this aid through government programs, nonprofits, personal resources, or cash loan options that help you stabilize your situation quickly.

You might need this type of aid after a sudden job loss, a medical emergency, or an urgent bill that hits before your next paycheck. When life feels overwhelming, and your budget can’t stretch any further, emergency aid can act as a safety net so you can focus on getting back on track. CreditNinja discusses types of emergency hardship financial aid and how to go about obtaining it.

Federal and State Agencies for Emergency Hardship Financial Aid

You may be eligible for funding from federal or local assistance. Here are a few situations in which you could get financial aid from government assistance programs.

Unemployment Insurance

If you are facing a job loss, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance. Start with unemployment insurance online. Your state will have a specific site dedicated to unemployment benefits. Once you get there, create a login and provide details about your job loss. You will not qualify for unemployment in most states if you quit your job.

If you qualify, the amount will depend on your wages and dependents.

And so, if facing a financial crisis due to job loss, start with unemployment insurance. Although it may not cover your entire wages, it can be the financial relief you need.

For small business owners, the Small Business Administration (SBA) assists business owners who need financial aid.

Financial Aid for Medical Emergencies

Medical emergencies can affect your credit if you don’t pay your bills. If you have health insurance, start with them. Your insurance should provide some aid after meeting the deductible. The deductible and the amount of coverage will depend on your health insurance policy. A dependent should also be covered if enrolled in your health insurance.

Below are alternatives to health insurance:

• A health savings account (HSA) — An HSA is a type of savings account offered by several employers. Your HSA is essentially a savings fund used for medical expenses.
• Low-cost medical insurance (Medicaid and CHIP) — Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program are low-cost medical insurance options provided by the federal government for families and individuals on low incomes.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) — TANF helps families on low incomes cover all kinds of costs, including medical bills and expenses.

Emergency Financial Aid for Basic Necessities

Local and federal government agencies help individuals and families who need financial relief and economic security. Here are a few:

• TANF — As mentioned above, TANF is a federally funded program that can assist families in need. TANF helps with food, housing, health care, childcare, and other basic needs.
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for