News
Venezuela's fragile environment faces rising risks as US pushes for oil and critical minerals and illegal gold mining spreads
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (878+ words) (THE CONVERSATION) Venezuela's Orinoco River Basin is a wild land of lush forests, grasslands and a vast delta of jungle wetlands teeming with wildlife. River dolphins and endangered Orinoco crocodiles ply its waterways, and over 1, 000 freshwater fish and bird species…...
Beachcombing report: Box jellyfish on the Texas coast
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (306+ words) An Atlantic Box Jellyfish washed in on North Padre Island in February 2026. Jace Tunnell holding an Atlantic Box Jellyfish in February 2026 on North Padre Island. While beachcombing this week along the Texas coast, I had one of those "wait, really?...
See these 'ghostlike' crystal jellyfish on the Texas coast
2+ week, 1+ day ago (321+ words) Jace Tunnell holding a crystal jellyfish in March 2026. A crystal jellyfish found on the sand in Port Aransas. During this week's beachcombing survey along the Texas coast, I found a ghostlike visitor washed ashore. It was an almost invisible jellyfish…...
Hurricane Melissa's 252 mph gust sets hurricane wind record
4+ mon, 3+ week ago (315+ words) Satellite imagery of Hurricane Melissa as it made landfall in Jamaica as a 185 mph hurricane. As recovery continues in Jamaica one month after the impact of Hurricane Melissa, data released has shown that the hurricane has broken worldwide records with…...
Likely tornado wallops small village in Illinois, ripping down power lines and stripping roofs
19+ hour, 14+ min ago (342+ words) The storm caused "extensive damage" throughout Lena, with trees and other debris blocking roadways and "compromised structures" causing hazardous conditions, according to the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office. "We are extremely fortunate that this storm did not result in loss of…...
Jasper native Brandi Dean honored with NASA's Silver Snoopy award
7+ mon, 2+ week ago (450+ words) Brandi Dean, middle, receives the prestigious Silver Snoopy award from NASA. Brandi Dean walked into a recent meeting thinking she was about to discuss broadcasting equipment upgrades. She instead saw her parents, siblings and childhood best friend sitting in the…...
EPA may ease regulation of chemical plastic recycling, and environmentalists worry
2+ day, 20+ hour ago (802+ words) The Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering whether facilities that recycle plastic chemically should be held to the same strict air pollution standards as incinerators. The possible change is alarming environmental advocates who say it would lead to more dangerous pollution…...
Thunderstorms rip across Michigan damaging 2 ice arenas, other structures
2+ day, 18+ hour ago (551+ words) National Weather Service crews were surveying damage in places including Ann Arbor to determine if one or more tornadoes touched down, but none had been confirmed as of Wednesday morning. Instead, the damage appears to have been caused by a…...
Severe storms accompanied by tornadoes damage communities from the Plains to the Midwest
3+ day, 18+ hour ago (226+ words) In neighboring Miami County, two people reported minor injuries, several homes were destroyed and recreational vehicles and campers were overturned, according to the sheriff's office. Power lines were de-energized in Hillsdale until cleanup could be safely completed, the sheriff's office…...
How dolphins communicate " new discoveries from a long-term study in Sarasota, Florida
3+ week, 5+ day ago (958+ words) (THE CONVERSATION) Human fascination with bottlenose dolphins goes back thousands of years, at least as early as Greek mythology. But it wasn't until the 1960s that methodical research into dolphin communication began. Scientists like John Lilly and the husband-and-wife team of…...