Life

Washington DC/Burlington VT September 12, 2016 – Today, the Funeral Consumers Alliance and the Consumer Federation of America released a survey of 142 representative funeral homes showing that more than one-fifth (23%) fail to tell consumers about their options for simple cremations, in violation of the Federal Trade Commission’s “Funeral Rule,” which requires specified price […]

September 9, 2016 – It is widely known that President Theodore Roosevelt was a pioneering champion of wildlife conservation in America. He was founder of the National Wildlife Refuge System, after all. What may be less well-known is the extraordinary impact Roosevelt had on conservation locally in west-central Mississippi and northeastern Louisiana, where the events […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 9, 2016) – Most Americans view public libraries as an important part of their communities, according to a new survey by Pew Research Center. Three-quarters (77%) say that public libraries provide them with the resources they need, and 66% say the closing of their local public library would have a major impact […]

WASHINGTON September 7, 2016 – Today, Oceana released a new report detailing the global scale of seafood fraud, finding that on average, one in five of more than 25,000 samples of seafood tested worldwide was mislabeled. In the report, Oceana reviewed more than 200 published studies from 55 countries, on every continent except for Antarctica. […]

September 6, 2016 – Earlier this year, I wrote about a cache of bitter writings by Woody Guthrie that I had discovered while conducting research for a book on the balladeer. The invectives were directed against a man Guthrie had dubbed his “worst enemy”: Fred C. Trump, the landlord of the Beach Haven apartment complex […]

Kathryn M. Flinn, Baldwin Wallace University September 6, 2016 – In one of television’s more bizarre recent offerings, the History Channel show “Appalachian Outlaws” follows a band of West Virginians as they hunt rugged forests for American ginseng, a medicinal root worth hundreds of dollars per pound. The show has high stakes: These men poach […]

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. Sept. 1, 2016 – A journey through life, love and death, “Day of the Dead: Art of Día de los Muertos 2016” will open at the California Museum’s Day of the Dead Party on Fri., Oct. 14, 2016. Exploring the Mexican cultural tradition of honoring deceased loved ones that evolved from the Aztecs […]

September 1, 2016 – CDC today released 2015 state- and territory-specific data on adult obesity prevalence using self-reported information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The 2015 maps show that the proportion of adults with obesity in the United States remains high. Highlights All states had more than 1 in 5 adults (20 […]

RENO, Nev. August 24, 2016 – Like a diamond in the rough, a small cut of beef that meat cutters throw in with ground meat is now being looked at as a high-end delicacy by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno. The small, quarter-moon-shaped slice of beef that has a taste and tenderness that […]

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 22, 2016 – Born Free USA, a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, recently received what was thought to be a lynx fur coat as part of the Born Free USA Fur for the Animals campaign. After further investigation at a furrier by Born Free USA, it was determined to […]

Aug. 19, 2016 – The making of “The Emperor Has No Balls”. www.thisisindecline.com Artist: Ginger Original Score: Ryder Reynolds

Aug. 18, 2016 – The latest report by The Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog, uncovers serious problems in cosmetics industry regulations. Regulatory weaknesses and loopholes allow for the use of questionable, even harmful ingredients in personal care products, such as toothpastes, that could negatively impact the health of the users. Behind the Dazzling Smile: […]

HONG KONG, Aug. 15, 2016 – Consumers say mobile phone manufacturers are releasing too many new models, according to a survey Greenpeace East Asia commissioned across six countries. In all countries surveyed, consumers were most likely to say that mobile phone manufacturers should be responsible for providing people with the means to recycle their phones, […]

Sting looks at his brain scans at McGill University’s Montreal Neurological Institute. Photo Credit: OWEN EGAN August 15, 2016 – What does the 1960s Beatles hit “Girl” have in common with Astor Piazolla’s evocative tango composition “Libertango”? To the casual listener, probably not much. But in the mind of one famously eclectic singer-songwriter, the two […]

Berkeley, Calif. August 12, 2016 – The health and safety of Olympians has been an ongoing story at Summer Olympic games. In 2008, air quality raised concerns in Beijing, while 2016 has been dogged with questions about polluted water and the Zika virus. Now, a new commentary co-written by UC Berkeley professor Kirk Smith says […]

LOS ANGELES, CA, Aug. 3, 2016 – In partnership with Heyday Books, the National Wildlife Federation has released When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors: People And Wildlife Working It Out In California, a new book of stories celebrating people and wildlife thriving together—sometimes in the most unlikely of places. Written by National Wildlife Federation’s California Director, […]

July 31, 2016 – A diet high in saturated fat can make your brain struggle to control what you eat, says a new study in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. If people are looking to lose weight, stay clear of saturated fat. Consuming these types of fatty food affects a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, […]

Lauren Griffin, University of Florida and Ann Christiano, University of Florida – THE CONVERSATION July 29, 2016 – Given that 2016 is expected to be the hottest year on record, with several months that not only surpassed old heat records but did so by increasingly large margins, it stands to reason climate change should be an issue […]