skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

An "Un-Bear-able" Delay for American Wildlife?

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 9, 2008   

Columbus, OH – It could be an "unbearable" delay for America's polar bear population. The Bush Administration faced a deadline today to decide whether to classify the Arctic bears as "endangered" under federal law, but has announced that it will postpone that decision.

Andrew Wetzler, with the Natural Resources Defense Council's Midwest office, says the bears are under a direct threat from global warming and shrinking sea ice, and the sooner they get endangered species protection, the better their chance of survival.

"The Endangered Species Act, which is one of the world's most effective conservation laws, is a valuable tool that could help save the polar bear from the effects of global warming."

Wetzler says the NRDC is joining other groups in a lawsuit to force the Administration to act quickly. Since the United States is a main source of global warming pollution, he says, Ohioans and all Americans have an obligation to help species affected by climate change.

"We think that the world is a better place, a richer place when there are polar bears in the wild. And not just polar bears, but seals and caribou and the entire array of Arctic life."

Wetzler says the timing of the delay looks suspicious, with oil and gas leases up for sale in Alaskan polar bear habitat early next month.

"By delaying this decision by a month, the Minerals Management Service will be able to avoid some legal obligations they would have under the Endangered Species Act if the polar bear had been listed before they sold these leases."




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021