Animals

Sage Grouse Does Not Need Protection, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Says

9:37pm September 22, 2015

by Grace Hood

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday the greater sage grouse does not need protections under the Endangered Species Act. The move is being celebrated by Western states and industry stakeholders because they say a listing would cost them billions of dollars in economic activity. But some environmental groups say the bird should be listed as endangered, and they plan to file lawsuits.

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National

Greater Sage Grouse Won't Get Federal Protection

6:54pm September 22, 2015

by Nathan Rott

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the charismatic Western bird doesn't need Endangered Species Act protection. A listing would have meant limits on mining and ranching in much of the West.

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Sleepless Fruit Flies Could Hold The Secret To Curing Insomnia

1:49pm September 20, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

Research on fruit flies with insomnia is revealing the pathways in the brain that can cause people to have trouble sleeping. This story originally aired on Sept. 18 on Morning Edition.

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Lily chases sheep for the first time in her shepherd-mix life, at Raspberry Ridge Sheep Farm in eastern Pennsylvania. Several times a year the farm invites dogs for "herding instinct tests."

Do City Dogs Dream Of Chasing Country Sheep?

6:49pm September 16, 2015

by Fred Mogul

Many people spend summertime in the great outdoors, enjoying simpler living. Reporter Fred Mogul took his city dog to a farm in Pennsylvania to see if she might enjoy exploring her shepherding roots.

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Chess Player Spotted Blinking Excessively Ejected For Cheating

1:33pm September 16, 2015

Low-ranked Arcangelo Ricciardi's success at a tournament in Italy raised suspicions. He's accused of using a hidden camera and blinking Morse code with someone outside. He credits his success to yoga.

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National

Symbols Take Wing: As Habitats Shrink, State Birds Head Elsewhere

7:13pm September 15, 2015

Climate change is forcing birds to change regional habitats. Gary Langham of the National Audubon Society led a study that predicts eight state birds won't reside in those states by century's end.

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How Sound Shaped The Evolution Of Your Brain

4:06pm September 10, 2015

by Bill McQuay

Sound gets into our brains and processed so quickly that it shapes all other perceptions, says neuroscientist Seth Horowitz. "You hear anywhere from 20 to 100 times faster than you see."

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Dentist and trophy hunter Walter Palmer (left) walks to his clinic in Bloomington, Minn., with private security and members of the media Tuesday.

American Dentist Who Killed Cecil The Lion Returns To Work

7:31am September 09, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

Walter Palmer had been out of the public eye since killing the lion in Zimbabwe in July. He returned to his dental practice in Minnesota on Tuesday.

Science Sticks Its Neck Out For Brontosaurus

12:22am September 09, 2015

A new study suggests that the long-defunct Brontosaurus should be back on the books. Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne explain.

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A diver swims in a kelp forest in California's Channel Island National Park, where several of the state's marine protected areas are located.

In California's Protected Waters, Counting Fish Without Getting Wet

5:58pm September 08, 2015

by Lauren Sommer

Using divers to monitor whether life is returning to the 100 or so marine protected areas is pricey. Now, advances in DNA sequencing mean scientists just need a seawater sample to do a marine census.

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