Fluorescent spider and armored cricket among incredible discoveries in Angola

 

A species of crowned crab spider fluoresces under ultraviolet light, for reasons still unclear to scientists. It is one of dozens of species thought to be unknown to science recently documented in the remote Angolan highlands in a survey by The Wilderness Project. Scroll through to see more new and incredible species photographed.

Nicky Bay/The Wilderness Project

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.

Amid collapsing global biodiversity, there’s a great irony: We’re discovering new species faster than ever before.

An expedition to eastern Angola announced Wednesday it had found dozens of species potentially unknown to science in a location described by organizers as “one of Africa’s last great biodiversity blank spots.”

The remote Lisima plateau in Angola’s highlands is a vast and vital landscape feeding the headwaters of the Congo, Okavango, Zambezi and Cuanza river systems. But its swamps and wetlands, grasslands and woodlands have been largely under-documented by science. Near-impenetrable geography and a ruinous 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 have stymied access. However, the area has begun yielding its secrets.

In 2024, an expedition led by South African explorer Steve Boyes successfully caught on camera a fabled “ghost elephant,” a genetically and physiologically distinct strand of giant elephant, cut off from other populations and adapted to the environment.

The newest survey, called the Cassai Life Atlas, was conducted in February by The Wilderness Project (founded by Boyes). It supports previous surveys conducted by the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project.

A giant conehead mantis, photographed during the survey in Angola. The species lives in grassland, predominantly in southern Africa, and is a master of diguise.

Nicky Bay/The Wilderness Project

A team of 16 African and international specialists captured what The Wilderness Project describes as the most detailed picture yet of the plateau. More new species are likely to be identified as taxonomists begin the process of formally describing them.

Among the most alluring potentially new species is a crowned crab spider that
 glows blue under ultraviolet light — for reasons still unclear to scientists.
Another is a ladybird orb-web spider, which mimics the appearance of the toxic ladybird beetle, protecting it from predators.

Among the 103 dragonfly and damselfly species recorded by the expedition, eight are undescribed by science, along with eight new moths.

Three previously undescribed grasshopper, katydid and cricket species were recorded, and The Wilderness Project says more could follow once specialists can assess the specimens.

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Protests over a US Ebola facility in Kenya highlight Africa’s growing resistance to Trump-era deals

 

Activists chant slogans as they carry placards and a mock coffin during a protest against a US-built Ebola quarantine centre planned to begin operations at Kenya's Laikipia Air Base, in Nairobi on June 2, 2026.

Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images

“Kenya is not an American colony!”

That was the chant echoing through Nairobi and other Kenyan cities last week as furious protesters vented their anger at plans for a US-funded isolation ward for Americans exposed to Ebola abroad.

The controversial proposal has sparked fears of Ebola entering a country that has never recorded a single case of the often-fatal disease. The nearest outbreaks are unfolding more than 1,500 miles away in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Ebola was first detected, and neighboring Uganda.

Critics argue the facility would expose Kenya to risks the United States would not accept on its own soil. Despite a court order halting construction of the ward pending a legal challenge, Kenya’s government — which recently signed a $1.6 billion health deal with the US — has continued to back the project, fueling a public backlash.

President William Ruto defended the decision, saying it would be “very inhuman” for Kenya to reject a US-funded facility after years of receiving American aid.

However, Ruto’s former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached in 2024, told CNN the plan revealed double standards on the part of the US and should be resisted.

Activists shout slogans and hold placards during a protest against an Ebola quarantine facility, in Nairobi on June 2.

Daniel Irungu/EPA/Shutterstock

“We find it unpalatable that if Americans are not willing to take care of their own patients in their own country because it’s risky to the rest of the population, the Americans will decide that that can be done in Kenya,” said Gachagua. “We find it unfair, we find it a double standard, and we are totally opposed to it.”

The controversy reflects a wider trend across Africa, where countries are increasingly pushing back against what critics describe as Washington’s transactional approach under President Donald Trump and deals seen as favoring US interests.

From aid to deals

Much of that pushback stems from changes in Washington’s approach to Africa.

On his return to office last year, Trump paused almost all foreign aid and scrapped thousands of aid contracts. The move marked the beginning of the dismantlement of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), cutting vital health and humanitarian funding worldwide — including in Africa, one of the largest recipients of US assistance.

Members of the pharmacology department take inventory of the last boxes of drugs delivered by the now-dismantled US Agency for International Development (USAID) at Lodwar County Referral Hospital on April 1, 2025.

Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images

For decades, US funding supported the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis across the continent. Now, those programs are being replaced by Trump’s “America First Global Health Strategy,” which prioritizes direct deals with individual countries. Washington says the goal is to reduce aid dependence while advancing US interests.

But as aid gives way to dealmaking, questions are growing about what African countries are expected to offer in return.

Health aid with strings attached

The US has signed new health agreements with at least 16 African countries, but some have stalled due to disagreements over their terms.

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How to help civilians impacted by the Middle East conflict

Children sit on a sidewalk as displaced families fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon arrive in the southern port city of Sidon, on Monday, March 2.

Mohammad Zaatari/AP

As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, a “troubling” humanitarian crisis is unfolding across the region, according to refugee agency UNHCR.

Humanitarian organizations on the ground are responding to assist displaced families and children seeking refuge. Aid workers are delivering food, water, shelter, and medical and mental health care, among other services.

You can find out how to help the humanitarian relief efforts here or by using the form below. Impact Your World will continue to monitor the situation and add additional vetted organizations as they begin operations on the ground.

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DOJ debunks social media claim of discrepancy in LA mayor vote count while Trump sows doubt in California’s elections

 

Election workers conduct ballot tabulation at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center during California's state primary election in the City of Industry, California, on June 2.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

A Los Angeles-based Justice Department official late Friday debunked a baseless claim of a discrepancy in the vote count of the city’s mayoral race that has circulated on social media.

The claim, which has been pushed by several right-wing figures on X, including billionaire Elon Musk, alleges a vote-count update on election night showed that Republican candidate Spencer Pratt received zero new votes. The push for clarity comes as President Donald Trump has used the prolonged vote count in California to sow doubt about the integrity of the state’s elections, accusing local officials of “cheating” in a heated exchange with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

On Friday, however, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli — a Trump appointee who leads the Los Angeles-based US attorney’s office — addressed the conspiracy theory.

“There was a claim circulating on social media about an election night ballot update at the Los Angeles Registrar of Voters where one candidate received zero votes,” Essayli wrote. “We reviewed official county records. The claim is false. Each candidate received votes in every update.”

Pratt, a former reality TV star, ran against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who are both Democrats, in Tuesday night’s nonpartisan primary election. CNN has projected that Bass will advance to the November general election but has yet to call whether she will face off against Pratt or Raman as votes continue to be counted.

A spokesperson for The Associated Press, which publishes vote counts in real time based on reports from election officials, told CNN in a statement that “there was a lag in an automated update such that some candidates’ votes were added in one update and the other candidates followed about a minute later.”

Pratt was in the second batch of candidates, the AP said, which means the vote counts were slightly delayed and, therefore, initially showed him appearing to gain zero additional votes in one of the updates that came in while two other leading candidates received thousands of votes.

“Exactly one minute later, the electronic update picked up the votes for another group of candidates including Spencer Pratt. Taken together, the updates included 21,870 votes for Pratt, 12,850 votes for Bass and 9,521 votes for Raman, along with votes for other candidates,” the AP spokesperson said.

CNN has reached out to the Los Angeles County clerk’s office for comment.

The conspiracy theory around the mayor’s race comes as Trump has claimed repeatedly without evidence, that the slow pace of the count from Tuesday’s primary was a sign of Democratic “cheating.” The Justice Department then sent one of its attorneys to observe ballot processing in Los Angeles, the county’s election office told CNN.

“Let me tell you, it’s four days and they aren’t even close to coming up with the–” Trump told NBC in an interview that aired Sunday. “You know why they’re doing that? Because they’re cheating on the election.”

Trump compared the race to the 2020 election, when he lost reelection to Joe Biden and pushed baseless voter fraud claims in an effort to overturn the results.

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It’s time to buy a cooling fan. Here are 4 we recommend for any room in your home

 

Best cooling tower fan: Shark TurboBlade Tower Fan

Suzanne Kattau/CNN Underscored

A cooling tower fan gives you great cooling performance with a small footprint, so it’s easy to place in a living room, bedroom or anywhere you’d prefer to tuck an appliance out of the way. This Shark fan tops not only the list of tower fans I’ve tested but the list of cooling fans I’ve tested for three main reasons: its design, its customizable arm and vents, and its powerful performance.

The TurboBlade from Shark stands about 4 feet tall and has a small footprint. What’s unique about this fan is that its two vents are located on an arm that I can pivot and tilt to better direct its airflow. If I wanted, I could always keep the arm in its horizontal position, but if I were sharing the fan with someone else, they could customize it and turn the arm vertical. Or we could pivot it to a diagonal orientation so that it blows its air toward the top and bottom of a room simultaneously. Whichever positioning you choose, this fan is powerful and can blow air up to 80 feet in any direction.

What’s also helpful about this tower fan is that it has two tilting vents on either end of the aforementioned arm. I can tilt both vents down so they cool my feet as I work from home (thereby avoiding any papers blowing around on my desk), or I can tilt both up so that all the air flows toward the ceiling, out of my way, but still cooling off the room.

Another option is to use the fan in my bedroom, where I can then tilt each vent in opposite directions. Just picture placing the fan at the foot of the bed, centered, then tilting one vent toward the bed and the other away. This then creates the ideal bedtime scenario, so I can sleep with the fan blowing on me while my partner feels nothing. This customization is refreshing, both literally and figuratively, and is one of the reasons I love this fan so much.

Its remote control attaches magnetically to the back of the fan for storage, which is helpful and convenient, and it offers 10 different speed settings. The slower settings are ideal for sleeping, working or even watching TV since the fan is quiet. Turn it up a bit, and even at its highest settings, including Boost, the fan is still not too loud; one can carry on a conversation nearby with no trouble.

The TurboBlade fan also comes with a built-in timer, like most fans do these days, and this one can be set for one, two, four, eight or 12 hours. Its three specialty modes are Sleep, BreezeBoost and Natural Breeze. The first one mutes any chimes and dims its control panel lights for ideal sleeping conditions. Its BreezeBoost gives that extra burst of airflow for when you really need it. Natural Breeze simulates wind, meaning it gently randomizes airflow, alternating between harder and softer intervals.

Best budget cooling tower fan: Honeywell QuietSet Whole Room Tower Fan

Suzanne Kattau/CNN Underscored

The Honeywell QuietSet Whole Room tower fan, my former pick for best cooling fan overall and now my pick for the best budget cooling tower fan, is well built and affordable. It has a solid, stable body and a beautiful, colorfully laid-out control panel that is simpler to figure out and use than most of the competition, which is why it earned the spot here.

The Honeywell QuietSet is easy to assemble, with tool-free construction and a straightforward connection to the base. Once I put it together, despite the Honeywell’s light weight, it is more stable than its competitors; some other lightweight towers, like one of the Lasko models from my first round of testing, wobbled with a slight push.

The fan’s eight speed settings let me fine-tune airflow intensity, though the three lower speeds were very similar. The clearly labeled controls and comfortable remote make it easy to navigate the settings; some other models are more finicky and harder to adjust.

Since it’s likely to be placed in a bedroom, I especially appreciate that this Honeywell lets me not just dim its control panel lights but turn them off entirely. Few other fans I tested offer this kind of control. I can choose to sleep in total darkness or just dim the controls so they aren’t distracting.

And finally, the QuietSet is perfectly named because it’s still one of the quietest fans I’ve tested. I can watch TV or hold a conversation right next to it, and I hardly remember that it’s powered on. Even on its highest Power Cool setting, it works like a champ, quietly and effectively, while blending into the background, so to speak.

Best cooling pedestal fan: Dreo TurboPoly Fan 508S

Suzanne Kattau/CNN Underscored

While a cooling pedestal fan isn’t as easy to slip into your decor as a tower fan, it offers better coverage in larger rooms because the blades clear your furniture. My updated pick for the best pedestal fan, the Dreo TurboPoly Fan 508S, is powerful yet compact. This replaces the Rowenta fan as the best cooling pedestal fan for a few reasons, including the Dreo’s design, oscillation options and performance.

The TurboPoly 508S is unobtrusive, fitting into spaces between furniture better than the Rowenta and other pedestal fans I’ve tested, thanks to its smaller base. It’s an attractive, lightweight pedestal fan that stands a little over 3 feet tall. It’s easy to assemble and comes with a handy plastic clip that attaches to its pole to store the remote. There is some leeway in where you can place the clip, but on the front, about halfway down the pole, seemed to work best for me.

This Dreo fan won me over with its oscillation options. Not only does its round fan-blade head move from side to side when it oscillates, but its head can oscillate in an upward and downward motion as well, something I’ve never seen before in a pedestal fan. I can set this unique horizontal and vertical oscillation so that the head moves both ways, creating a circular motion as it completes the cycle. I find it sort of mesmerizing and calming to watch. Like watching fish swim back and forth in a tank or watching flames dance in a fireplace. After watching it oscillate in this circular motion, I’m not only cooled off and sweat-free but sort of in a Zen-like state of calm as well.

The Dreo TurboPoly not only relaxes me with its oscillation but is also very powerful, delivering steady, refreshing air. I can choose between nine fan speeds, including Turbo, which is surprisingly vigorous.

Another great and unexpected feature of this fan is its ambient light color button. It lets me select from seven different colors, including red, yellow, green, dark blue, light blue, purple and white. When I turn the button on, the back of the fan’s head glows in a circle. The circle’s color changes depending on what color you select. I have a son in college who is a gamer, and he likes that the fan can be set to “match” the color of his gaming keyboard or room setup. I prefer having the ambient light on in my bedroom as I sleep and favor the red and blue options.

Best cooling floor fan: Vornado 753 OSC Whole Room Air Circulator

Suzanne Kattau/CNN Underscored

A cooling floor fan, despite its name, can usually also be placed comfortably on a desk or table. This kind of fan is easy to place almost anywhere, making it great to have on hand to cool a space like a kitchen, office or bathroom when needed. This floor fan is very lightweight, and I can easily pick it up by its built-in handle area on its back and carry it to where I need it. Once placed on the floor or a desk or table, I can also direct its air by tilting its head to varying degrees, all the way up to a fully vertical position for the air to blow directly at the ceiling.

The Vornado 753 features a built-in timer that I can set anywhere from one to eight hours, which is perfect for a full workday at home, a study session in a dorm room or overnight as one sleeps. This fan doesn’t have the large number of speed settings some other fans in this guide do, but its three speeds get the job done. Its low and medium speeds are respectable and dependable, and once I turned it up to its third and highest speed setting, I was blown away (pun intended, I suppose) by its power.

This is a small but mighty floor fan from Vornado, which reminds me of its predecessor, the Vornado 660AE, which won in this category in my previous round of testing — what can I say, this brand knows how to make a powerful floor fan. But the Vornado 753 won out because it adds a twist that sets it apart from the pack: Not only does it have a small footprint and a completely adjustable head but it has an aromatherapy option.

Out of the box, this fan comes with five unscented circular aromatherapy pads. Just take your favorite essential oil, add a few drops onto a pad, insert the pad into the designated spot and replace the pad cap. Turn the fan on and voilà! Lovely scented air begins to flow throughout the room. I’ve seen this option before on an air purifier but never on a floor fan, so this delighted me during testing.

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