"A federal judge on Monday cleared the way for a land exchange that would allow SpaceX, the rocket and satellite maker run by Elon Musk, to expand its launching and production site into a federal wildlife refuge in Texas."
"Maintenance projects have been put off around the country and resources diverted to the president’s favored projects in Washington."
"A new cat has been discovered in Bolivia, the first time in more than a century that scientists have confirmed a new feline species in the world."
"Killing endangered animals while logging a forest or building a dam would not be considered illegal unless the animals were specifically targeted, under a new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act by President Donald Trump’s administration that marks a sea change in how the landmark environmental law is enforced."
"Several lawsuits and a bipartisan letter from former agency directors condemn the Trump administration’s gutting of habitat protections for imperiled animals and plants."
"The Trump administration has blocked more than 130 projects in national parks across the country worth at least $25 million, according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post — funding that had already been secured for some of the most visited parks for work such as fire preparedness in California, prehistoric mound protection in Iowa and sled dog care in Alaska."
"Nearly half a billion birds may soar across the United States in the next two weeks during their annual fall migration, prompting requests for residents to turn off or dim lights to help ensure their safe flight."
"Federal agencies say opening these lands will reduce wildfire risks and make timber more accessible. Experts, however, say the government is contradicting itself."
"Indonesian authorities are working to repatriate five baby orang utans found motherless in India, suspected to be trafficked from Sumatra. The infants are critically endangered, healthy, and under care at a zoo while DNA tests confirm their origin."
"Rabies cases in the United States from July to August increased 17 percent compared to the same period last year, following several “high-profile rabies outbreaks” and exposure events, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday."
