- Earl's path along northeast is not well-worn
(AP)
AP - Pushed by an ill-timed trough of low pressure, Hurricane Earl is heading uncomfortably close to an area relatively few hurricanes tend to go: the Northeast coastline.
- UN: Climate funds shouldn't divert poverty aid
(AP)
AP - The U.N.'s climate chief says poor countries are right to expect that any funding they receive to combat global warming be kept separate from development aid or poverty relief.
- Famed Tasmanian devil euthanized after tumor found
(AP)
AP - A Tasmanian devil named Cedric, once thought to be immune to a contagious facial cancer threatening the iconic creatures with extinction, has been euthanized after succumbing to the disease, researchers said Wednesday.
- What's a Gumby Suit?
(LiveScience.com)
LiveScience.com - The Mariner oil platform explosion off the Louisiana coast created a
mile-long oil sheen into the Gulf of Mexico and forced 13 crew members
to jump into the water wearing protective Gumby suits. Just what exactly
is a Gumby suit?
- BP removes cap from Gulf well
(Reuters)
Reuters - BP Plc said it removed a cap from equipment atop its ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well on Thursday, the first of several steps in advance of plugging the leak for good.
- No sign of oil after Gulf platform fire: Coast Guard
(Reuters)
Reuters - An oil and gas platform operated by Mariner Energy burst into flames in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, but the U.S. Coast Guard said the crew of 13 escaped and there were no signs of an oil spill.
- Asteroid Diversity: Mixed Bag of Space Rocks Found Near Earth
(SPACE.com)
SPACE.com - A new survey of asteroids near Earth by a NASA space
telescope has found a much wider variety of the space rocks than previously
thought, with some shiny and bright while others are dark and dull.
- Exercise Can Counteract Obesity Genes, Says Study
(Time.com)
Time.com - A new study finds people who are genetically predisposed to obesity may benefit most from physical activity
- Thanks to high-tech, storm track easier to predict
(AP)
AP - Sophisticated computer models that replaced instinct with cold, hard math have helped forecasters predict where a storm like Hurricane Earl is going about twice as accurately as 20 years ago.
- Federal judge orders revised spotted owl plan
(AP)
AP - A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must revise a Bush administration recovery plan for the northern spotted owl.
- Mass Extinction Threat: Earth on Verge of Huge Reset Button?
(LiveScience.com)
LiveScience.com - Mass extinctions have served as huge reset buttons that dramatically
changed the diversity of species found in oceans all over the world, according
to a comprehensive study of fossil records. The findings suggest humans will
live in a very different future if they drive animals to extinction, because
the loss of each species can alter entire ecosystems.
- Temporary cap that stopped oil gusher removed
(AP)
AP - Engineers removed a temporary cap Thursday that stopped oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico from BP's blown-out well in mid-July. No more oil was expected to leak into the sea, but crews were standing by with collection vessels just in case.
- The nation's weather
(AP)
AP - Hurricane Earl was forecast to rapidly approach the East Coast on Thursday, bringing unsettled weather to the North Carolina coast.
- Supernova Blast Wave Could Shape Galaxy Evolution
(SPACE.com)
SPACE.com - Hubble Space
Telescope observations of the aftermath of a giant star explosion are offering
a new glimpse into the events that follow the collapse of a massive dying star.
- Stem cell firms defend record after criticism
(Reuters)
Reuters - Cell therapy companies in China and Germany who were criticized by British experts warning of the dangers of "stem cell tourism" defended themselves on Wednesday, saying their safety records were good.
- Factbox: U.S. Energy Disasters in 2010
(Reuters)
Reuters - Energy production and distribution in the United States can be a dangerous pursuit, in spite of strict safety regulations for oil, gas and coal producers and processors.
- NHC Report: Gaston still a depression, headed to Caribbean
(Reuters)
Reuters - Recently-downgraded Gaston remained a tropical depression on Thursday as it churned west-northwest in the central Atlantic on a path that will likely take it into the Caribbean Sea, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday.