Coffee and Provocation

Marketing High Powered Guns to Children and Maniacs
The families of 26 victims of a mass-shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut sued Remington in a case which just settled for $73 million. The families argues Remington promoted the sales of AR-15 style weapon to troubled men and, as part of the settlement, Remington agreed to release thousands of pages of internal company documents, including possible plans for how to market the weapon used in the massacre. In an unrelated development, another US gun maker, WEE1 Tactical is marketing the "JR-15," modeled on the AR-15, as "the first in a line of shooting platforms that will safely help adults introduce children to the shooting sports." The JR-15 is only 31 inches (80 centimeters) long, weighs less than 2.5 pounds (one kilogram) and comes with magazines of five or 10 rounds of 22 caliber bullets. It was released in mid-January with a price tag of $389.

Widespread Poisoning Eagles With Lead Shot  

Nearly half of bald eagles tested across the US show signs of chronic lead exposure. Similar rates of lead exposure were found in golden eagles.

Dog or Coyote?

A few weeks ago, I posted about archeologists who are taxonomically dead-sure about animals they have never seen alive, while experts on wildlife and dogs are a little less sure about the living animals right in front of them. The subject in question was an animal picked up by a wildlife rescue in Pennsylvania.  What was it?  Now we have an answer.

Editing Ticks for Human Health?

Ticks carry a lot of disease to humans.  Is is possible to gene-edit ticks so they cannot carry pathogens to people and dogs?  Maybe.  

Reducing Bycatch

Nets with lights on them entrap fewer undesirable animals without significantly impacting the amount of target fish caught.

Coyotes Have Been In DC for 20 Years
The local news channel has finally noticed.

The Owl Pellet Economy

Where do all those owl pellets that are dissected by upper-middle class grade school kids come from?  There's a story there -- and a small business.

Whitetail Deer and the Covid Next Time
Deer may act as large reservoir for the virus in North America, and serve as a source for new variants to come.

Family Dollar Warehouse Plagued By Rats

FDA warns consumers not to use certain Family Dollar products in 6 states after discovering more than 1,000 dead rodents at warehouse.