National

Bison have been roaming the Santa Catalina Island since the 1920s. At one time they numbered more than 600.

National

Of Bison, Birth Control And An Island Off Southern Calif.

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

A wild herd of bison has been roaming the rugged Santa Catalina Island since the 1920s, when the animals were brought there by a film crew shooting a movie that was never made. With no natural predators, the bison population quickly exploded.

Queue Listen Now

Dave Dierig, research leader at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, stands among the ceiling-high shelves that hold the 600,000 seed packets in this cold storage vault.

Colorado Vault Is Fort Knox For The World's Seeds

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Luke Runyon

At Colorado State University, billions of seeds and other genetic material sit inside a giant storage vault. They're kept there in case of a loss of plant or animal life on a regional or global scale. But the investigation into GMO wheat in Oregon has raised questions about security at the facility.

Queue Listen Now

A Closer Look At Elon Musk's Much-Hyped Hyperloop

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Elise Hu

Existing concepts in science like linear induction motors and magnetic levitation are back in the spotlight thanks to Elon Musk's proposal for a rail system that can travel faster than the speed of sound.

Queue Listen Now

Speech-language pathologists Jill Tullman (left) and Mendi Carroll (right) work with Bryce Vernon at Talking with Technology Camp in Empire, Colo., on July 25.

Obamacare: People With Disabilities Face Complex Choices

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Eric Whitney

The Affordable Care Act sets up categories of essential health benefits that insurance plans must cover. Some categories, such as maternity care and drug abuse treatment, are straightforward. But "habilitative services" — including treatments like physical and speech therapy — are much more subjective.

Queue Listen Now

The sun sets over the Manhattan skyline during a major power outage affecting a large part of the Northeastern United States and Canada on Aug. 14, 2003. Ten years later, some improvements have been made to the grid to prevent another large-scale blackout

10 Years After The Blackout, How Has The Power Grid Changed?

12:58pm August 14, 2013

by Dan Bobkoff

Sagging power lines and computer glitches led to a power outage that left 50 million people across the Northeast U.S. and part of Canada in darkness on Aug. 14, 2003. New sensors have been installed, and operator training and computer systems have been upgraded. But is that enough to prevent another massive blackout?

Queue Listen Now

National

UPS Plane Crashes Near Birmingham, Ala.; 2 Dead

9:16am August 14, 2013

A UPS cargo plane crashed near the airport in Birmingham, Ala., Wednesday morning. The pilot and co-pilot were both killed.

Queue Listen Now

National

Brand New N.C. Voter ID Law Already Facing Challenges

6:31pm August 13, 2013

by Dave DeWitt

North Carolina's new voter ID law is already facing legal challenges — one day after Governor Pat McCrory signed the bill into law. The measure ends a week of early voting and eliminates same-day registration.

Queue Listen Now

Obama Delays Implementing Another Part Of Affordable Care Act

6:31pm August 13, 2013

by Sarah Varney

The Obama administration has delayed implementation of another part of Affordable Care Act — this time, it's the rules aimed at limiting out-of-pocket costs for patients.

Queue Listen Now

Colorful covers of menus from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (left) and the Monarch Room Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Old Hawaiian Menus Tell Story Of Local Fish And Their Demise

3:53pm August 13, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

An ecologist wondered if Hawaiian menus might help explain what happened to Hawaii's sea turtle population. But the menus revealed another marine tragedy: that local fish numbers had dropped to about a tenth of what they once were.

Queue Listen Now

North Carolina Governor Signs Controversial Voter ID Bill

2:59pm August 13, 2013

by Doreen McCallister

The measure signed Monday by Gov. Pat McCrory overhauls the state's election laws. It requires government-issued photo IDs at the polls, reduces the early voting period by one week and ends same-day registration.