"As the sun set over western Pennsylvania, Marcus Santos, inmate #JL7126, sat alone in a drab prison hospital, his eyes closed, wondering if he was about to die. It was Aug. 26, 2012."

The problem of growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics is being compounded by the decisions of many drug companies to stop developing and making new antibiotics. The reason: they are not making money.

"The Obama administration, aiming to keep a finicky, chickenlike bird called the greater sage grouse off the endangered species list, moved on Thursday to limit petroleum drilling and other activities on some of its wide-ranging habitat in the American West."

"Their desperate mission: to attempt the first artificial insemination ever of a softshell turtle, saving the species from oblivion."

"The foul-smelling carcasses of whales are attracting a veritable swarm of marine biologists to California beaches in what has so far been a futile effort to figure out why so many of the blubbery beasts are washing ashore."

"If honeybees are busy pollinating large, blooming croplands, farmers wanting to spray toxic pesticides will soon have to buzz off, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing."

Areas of the Southwest are desert, but federally financed water projects have created cities and farms dependent on water that may not be there much longer.

"The Atlantic hurricane season will be less active than usual this year due to cooler seas and a strong El Niño effect, the U.S. government weather forecaster said on Wednesday."

"President Obama on Wednesday announced a sweeping new clean water regulation meant to restore the federal government’s authority to limit pollution in the nation’s rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands."

"In September, the Obama administration will make what is arguably the biggest Endangered Species Act decision in history."