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Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

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The Teamsters choose not endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least seventeen states.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Global Warming Responsible for Wacky Weather?

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010   

PIERRE, S.D. - Global warming is having odd effects on winter weather in South Dakota and around the northern United States, and the National Wildlife Federation has just released a report that details some of the extremes. Chris Hesla with the South Dakota Wildlife Federation says the unusual conditions we have seen this winter may become the norm.

"You know, I think its not so much oddball, but more of a sharpness to it, extra bitter colds, or extra snow with extra winds, and hotter temperatures in the summer. We're going to see the same weather patterns, just more extremes of it."

One thing for certain is that wetlands of eastern South Dakota will be overflowing this spring, following the heavy snows of winter. Hesla says that may be too much of a good thing for the lowlands.

"Well, when you have water, that takes care of, in a lot of sloughs, the cattails that protect our birds in the winter time; you know it's the pheasants, primarily, that I am talking about. You know you can't plant anything in standing water, that could be a tough thing this summer."

Hesla says the change in weather patterns could have a direct economic impact on states like South Dakota.

"With South Dakota being the duck factory of the nation, the climate and things like that are important to us, because it doesn't take very many degrees of a rise in temperature to do away with a lot of the marginal wetlands we have in South Dakota. They are important to ducks and the production of ducks."

The NWFreport, "Oddball Winter Weather: Global Warming's Wake Up Call for the Northern United States," is available at www.nwf.org



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