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Humpback whales in the southern hemisphere have been exhibiting odd behavior over the past few years: typically a solitary species that only temporarily gathers in pods of up to a dozen individuals, groups of up to 200 whales have been gathering in spots off of the west coast of South Africa. In addition to this oddity, these whales typically aren’t found that far north in the summer, preferring feeding grounds closer to Antarctica.

Researchers are at a loss when it comes to explaining this new behavior, although one idea suggests that this is actually a normal activity, interrupted when the humpback’s numbers dropped due to over-hunting in previous centuries.
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Documents obtained by The National Association of Clean Air Agencies from an anonymous source have revealed President Donald Trump’s plans to make massive budget and personnel cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. This news comes amidst the controversy stirred up by a statement made by incoming EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, having declared that human activity is not a contributor to climate change.

The proposed cuts themselves would entail slashing the agency’s already tight $8.1-billion budget by 25 percent, and cut its 15,376-member workforce by 20 percent. The EPA’s budget and manpower has already been pared back to late-1980s levels, prompting concern over whether or not the agency would be able to effectively function.
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Staff members of the Environmental Protection Agency have been instructed to freeze all grants in the agency’s extensive funding program, including, but not limited to, funds for environmental research, education, industrial site redevelopment, and air quality monitoring. Furthermore, staff have also received orders not to talk about the issue with anyone outside the agency, including the public and the press.

This news broke when an anonymous EPA staff member informed the congressional office about the development earlier this week, and it is unknown as to whether the freeze will be temporary or not. The Huffington Post published a message that was reportedly given to EPA staff on January 23, outlining tight controls on external communication:
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It would be a gross understatement to say that president-elect Donald Trump hasn’t kept his intentions regarding environmental policy a secret — he’s outright declared climate change to be a hoax, promised to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency, pull out of the Paris Agreement, withdraw all funding from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, and reverse various environmental initiatives put in place by the previous administration. Needless to say, these plans do not bode well for the environment.
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