Birch

A photographer outside Birchip, in Victoria's Wimmera-Mallee region, filmed a tornado with an iPhone 17 Pro at maximum zoom, compressing five minutes of footage into eight times speed. The clip shows the storm looking due south and is being shared widely as severe weather hits regional Victoria.

A creator on the streaming service Nebula has published a new video documenting a week spent sleeping on a Stone Age-style mattress. The piece, part of a first-run series on the platform, explores what prehistoric bedding might have been like in practice. It is being shared as part of ongoing interest in experimental history and first-person lifestyle experiments.

Matthew Farwell has been charged in connection with the killing of Sandra Birchmore, but not with murder, prompting questions about prosecutors' reasoning. Coverage, including from NBC Boston, examines the legal basis for the charge selection in a case that has drawn sustained attention in Massachusetts and renewed scrutiny of the former police involvement surrounding Birchmore's death.

Brian Walshe–style drama aside, the case at hand is the murder trial of Farwell in the death of John Birchmore? No — the reported fact is that Farwell's trial is approaching while prosecutors and defense attorneys argue over evidence obtained from an iPhone search connected to the Birchmore case. The dispute centers on whether that search evidence can be used at trial, with the ruling potentially shaping the case as proceedings begin.

Jury selection is set to begin Tuesday in the murder trial of Matthew Farwell, a former police officer charged in the killing of Sandra Birchmore. The case has drawn sustained attention given the defendant's law enforcement background and the circumstances surrounding Birchmore's death. Opening arguments could follow once a jury is seated, marking a major step in a long-awaited prosecution.

The Bar Harbor Garden Club is hosting a presentation titled "The State of Maine's Loons" by Nathaniel Austin of Maine Audubon, held at Birch Bay Village. The event focuses on the condition of loon populations in Maine, a topic of local interest to gardeners and conservation-minded residents. The local outlet Bar Harbor Story reported on the talk.

Birchfeed, a service from The BirchTree blog, can forward email newsletters to a user's chosen inbox. The feature is being shared as part of the Digital Crossroads collection, drawing interest from readers who want to manage newsletter subscriptions without giving sites their main email address. Discussion is modest so far, mostly among productivity and web tooling enthusiasts.

A nature photographer in Germany is documenting the wood horsetail, a plant that grows in damp, shaded areas beneath birches and pines. It spreads through underground runners and forms dense stands on nutrient-rich soils. The images highlight its finely structured fronds and the play of light around it.