Fracking drives pronghorn herds out of Wyoming habitat

Meet the latest player in the fractious debate over "fracking" for natural gas: the pronghorn. Disturbance from drilling is causing the fleet-footed ungulates to vacate their prime wintering grounds in Wyoming.

In winter, pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) migrate from higher ground to the Upper Green River basin ? which in recent years has experienced a boom in gas drilling.

To study the effects of this development, a team led by Jon Beckmann, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, based in Bozeman, Montana, put GPS collars on 125 female pronghorn and tracked their movement.

Between 2005 and 2009 the researchers documented a five-fold decline in the use of habitat patches predicted to be of the highest quality, as the animals avoided areas disturbed by drilling. "We are seeing the abandonment of crucial winter range," says Beckmann.

Pronghorn populations haven't yet begun to fall, but a parallel study of the area's mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), a more sedentary species, doesn't bode well: its numbers declined by 50 per cent over the same period.

By 2009 more than 3300 wells had been drilled in the Upper Green River basin, many of which are fracked, and thousands more are expected to follow. The researchers want the federal Bureau of Land Management, which must approve drilling operations, to minimise wildlife disturbance. That could be done by concentrating wells onto fewer drill pads, and using "directional drilling" techniques to extend the wells horizontally.

Journal reference: Biological Conservation, DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2012.01.003

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Prodigy Confirms Mobb Deep Album On The Way

MC tells 'RapFix Live' there is 'no friction' between him and Havoc despite breakup rumors.
By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Prodigy
Photo: MTV News

The future of Mobb Deep seemed questionable last month after a series of disparaging tweets from Havoc's account were directed at his partner in rhyme, but during a Wednesday visit to "RapFix Live," Prodigy confirmed that there was "no friction" within the group.

"If [Havoc] had a problem, he would've told me that, he wouldn't put it on Twitter," Prodigy told MTV News' Sway Calloway, addressing the tweets, which sent rumors swirling that the legendary Queens group was headed for a breakup. "We're veterans. We been doing this for years, that's just something we wouldn't do."

Prodigy sounded pretty confident as he explained that things were all gravy between the two. "The Mobb is good, we're working on the next album still, steadily, making it hot," he said. "But in the meantime we're gonna put out some product for right now. The Mobb Deep album is not where we want it to be yet, so we've just gotta do something in the meantime."

Prodigy plans to drop his new solo project, H.N.I.C. 3, on July 3, before the group rolls out their next album, revealing that Mobb Deep's label situation allows them to be flexible with their release dates. "We've got a distribution deal over at Sony RED, so basically we run our own label, we run the company, we've gotta do everything ourselves," he explained. "We make the release schedule, it's up to us what comes out first and if we want to change something, we change it. We've got a lot of control with this situation — it's like the best situation that you could ever be in, as far as [being] an artist and making music, this is great for us." Even though Prodigy has confirmed that there is no real beef between him and Havoc — "Only time there's friction is if we might be on the road and we might have our eye on the same chick after the show" — some fans are still left wondering how a group album will turn out after the small scandal that surrounded the tweets.

"To tell you the truth, it really don't matter to me what people believe," Prodigy said. "My job is to come here and make our mark with the music. People are gonna talk all the time, we've been dealing with that since we've been 15."

What do you hope to hear on Mobb Deep's next album? Leave your comment below!

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Three Delta Employees Charged Over $600,000 Drug Duffle [Crime]

If you're going to smuggle a half-million dollars worth for heroin and speed through Hartsfield-Jackson International, try not to forget it at baggage claim. More »

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Calling All Startups: TechCrunch New York Just Posted Office Hours (May 9)

Office Hours in New York was a huge success last week. We met the guys from Krossover, along with quite a few other really badass startups which we'll post about when the time comes. That said, I want more. More, more, more. (I'm greedy like that.) So we're officially posting our second round of Office Hours. This time, instead of a coffee shop, we're hitting startup turf: DUMBO Incubator in Brooklyn.

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Ashton Kutcher Popchips Ad Pulled Admist Racism Outcry

For a phony online dating ad - in which he stars on behalf of his role as Popchips' “president of pop culture" - Ashton Kutcher dons multiple costumes and pretends to be four different eligible bachelors.

There's a character named Raj, for example, that features the actor in brown face and and with an Indian accent.

And while it's all meant to be in good fun, many on the Internet have not reacted with laughter.

Ashton Kutcher Dating Site Commercial

“I can’t imagine I have to explain this to anyone in 2012, but if you find yourself putting brown makeup on a white person in 2012 so they can do a bad “funny” accent in order to sell potato chips, you are on the wrong course," wrote Anil Dash, a tech blogger, in response to the spot. "Make some different decisions."

And Popchips now has: the company has pulled the ad from YouTube and Facebook, while releasing the following statement:

"The new Popchips worldwide dating video and ad campaign featuring four characters was created to provoke a few laughs and was never intended to stereotype or offend anyone. At Popchips we embrace all types of shapes, flavors and colors, and appreciate all snackers, no matter their race or ethnicity. We hope people can enjoy this in the spirit it was intended."

What do YOU think? Should the spot have been removed from the Internet?

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Who Believes In Facebook? Investors Who?ve Plopped $915 Million Into Its Preferred Marketing Devs

While greedy advertisers claim they're skeptical about Facebook because it won't give them obtrusive ad units, investors seem quite confident in its business, considering they've publicly poured $900 million into Facebook Preferred Marketing Developers according to a study by AlphaBoost. ?The future of Facebook ads is a particularly popular bet, as Ads API providers who brands and agencies buy and manage huge campaigns have pulled in $450 million in public investments. Those backing PMDs include six of InvestorRank's Top 10 Overall VC funds such as First Round Capital?and?Battery Ventures.?Who are you going to trust as to the potential of Facebook's business? Advertisers who want big flashy ads all over your news feed but are sore they can't get them. Or today's top VCs?

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Kate Gosselin: Stalked, Threatened By Random Freak on Twitter

Kate Gosselin had a lot on her plate as it is, but now the maligned reality mom is receiving threatening messages from a mystery, sinister antagonist.

Using a profile picture depicting the bible verse John 8:32, the ominous stalker has been sending the former Kate Plus 8 star increasingly creepy tweets.

The messages began April 26 with a countdown of when the antagonist will expose Kate Gosselin's dark secrets and supposed "immoral ways."

In 56 days from that Tweet, BT-dub.

“56 more days Kate!! It's not too late to change your ways. Follow us for updates!" wrote the stalker, before posting a follow-up five days later.

“I know what you did @Kateplusmy8, and in 51 days so will the world,” the freak wrote, tagging Radar Online to further publicize their efforts.

The creep also references Kate's publicist: “Hi Julie Carson May! Can't wait 4 u to read about ur greatest creation! You must be so proud of yourself!”

It's unclear what she did that was so bad or why it would shock people - it's pretty much a universally held belief that Kate Gosselin sucks anyway - but whatev.

In the New Testament of the bible, verse John 8:32 reads: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” This is deep stuff people.

Kate's supposed judgment day is June 21, according to our calculations, the same night of the summer solstice, for what that's worth (nothing).

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