Topic: Grand Canyon National Park

Why, after all these years, the Senate is working on a budget (+VIDEO)

Senate Democrats didn't pass a budget resolution for the previous three years, but they are taking steps to do it this year. Three things, in particular, have changed.

Contagious

A new case study in the vein of “Freakonomics” and “The Tipping Point” addresses the “why” of viral marketing.

Google Maps presents North Korea through a new lens

Google Maps released its first atlas of North Korea on Monday, which outlines major roads, landmarks, hospitals, and prison labor camps within the country's borders.

Why Does the World Exist?

A simple question proves thorny in Jim Holt's new book.

Gigantic 'Grand Canyon' buried beneath Antarctic ice (+video)

A humongous rift located under West Antarctica that provides a channel for warm ocean water to creep toward the interior of the ice sheet could be accelerating ice loss, say scientists.

Humongous hidden Antarctic rift could be speeding ice melt, say scientists (+video)

A huge newly discovered rift, buried a mile beneath the ice in Antarctica, could be contributing to ice loss, according to researchers. 

Forest Service: Wildfires intensify need for forest management

Service chief Tom Tidwell says forests need to be returned to a more natural state to prevent so-called "super fires."

Roger Clemens case goes to jury

The prosecutor told jurors that they were the "final umpires" on Clemens' perjury trial.

Solar eclipse 2012: All systems go for witnessing rare 'ring of fire' (+video)

A rare annular eclipse, where a ‘ring of fire’ outlines the moon as it crosses the sun, will greet US viewers Sunday evening. Residents of the US West will have a good shot at seeing the full fire ring.

Football stadium to host world's largest solar eclipse party

The eclipse will occur in the afternoon and early evening on Sunday, during which time the moon will pass between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on the planet. 

Solar eclipse visible from 154 national parks Sunday

Sunday's solar eclipse will be the first visible in the US this century. The annular eclipse will be best seen from 33 national parks, including the Grand Canyon.

NASA mission confirms: Ex-asteroid Vesta is a planet that almost was

Data from the orbiter DAWN confirm theories about the history of Vesta, which dates to the early days of planet formation. The protoplanet is also home to the solar system's second largest mountain.

Decoder Wire How the sequester could save Democrats in December

Congress has an apocalyptic list of issues to deal with after the November elections, including the Bush tax cuts and the sequester. Any chance for compromise could rest on Democrats' willingness to be as ruthless as Republicans have been.

Jetman swoops across Brazilian skyline (+video)

The Swiss aviator Yves Rossy recently flew across the Rio de Janeiro sky with his jet-propelled wing, parachuting safely to a southern Brazilian beach.

Senate staves off postal Armageddon with USPS reform bill

Postal bill averts 3,700 post-office closings for at least two years, but fails to address deeper, structural problems in how the postal service manages a vast operation, rivaled only by Wal-Mart in total employment.

Darling Companion: movie review

A rambling shaggy-dog story, 'Darling Companion' lives up to its canine credentials.

What James Cameron saw 6.8 miles deep in Mariana Trench (+video)

'Titanic' director James Cameron dives to Earth's deepest spot

Cameron is using a submarine to descend nearly seven miles to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific. The pressure below is the equivalent of three SUVs sitting on your toe.

Tax VOX Why Ryan's budget is music to Democrat's ears

Paul Ryan may not have intended it, but his 2013 budget is the strongest argument I’ve seen for why any serious fiscal plan must include new revenues.

Opinion: Advice for Congress this first day of spring: To improve leadership, go outside

Thoreau’s suggestion that Congress might be improved by a greater awareness of the natural world was a serious one. Being outdoors this first day of spring should remind leaders and voters of a calendar beyond the election cycle – and a web of connections that transcends party.

Quadrantid meteors and 11 other big skywatching events of 2012

What lies ahead sky-wise for 2012? Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist, selected what he considers to be the top 12 "skylights" for this coming year,

Mars science lab 'Curiosity' to launch 'extraterrestrial real-estate appraisal'

After a decade of "following the water," planetary scientists want to see if water co-existed with other critical environmental conditions that could have allowed simple forms of life to emerge.

Mars Curiosity rover waiting on launch pad. But will funding end?

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, which includes the car-sized Curiosity rover, arrived on its Cape Canaveral launchpad on Thursday. But some experts worry about the lack of funding for Mars missions beyond 2013.

'Unearthly' beauty tops jobs? Obama freezes mining near Grand Canyon.

Mining companies say the decision could cost the regional economy billions of dollars. Environmentalists disagree and say mining near the Grand Canyon would mar a natural treasure.

Crunch time at Postal Service: Five questions about post office closings.

Among the thousands of post offices under review for closure is a cramped branch in downtown Elmira, N.Y., bustling on a rainy summer afternoon. It was, until recently, a place retiree Charlotte Dumas took for granted. She visits the downtown branch about three times a week. "I would hate to see it close," she says. "It's so convenient." And it's a bargain. The United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers an average of 563 million pieces of mail a day, six days a week. For a 44-cent stamp, you can send a letter to the far reaches of the nation. Rain, sleet, and manic dogs don't stop the service, which carries mail by pack mule to the Havasupai Indian reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and operates branches in towns of fewer than 100 residents. Too good to be true? It might soon be. To help close a $20 billion revenue shortfall by 2015, the USPS may be forced to shutter as many as 3,700 post offices nationwide.