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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Expert: Don't Be So Bugged By Bugs

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Friday, September 15, 2017   

LANSING, Mich. – They're not loved by most people, which is why author David MacNeal is highlighting the importance and diversity of bugs in his new book, "Bugged: The Insects Who Rule the World and the People Obsessed with Them."

With about 1.4 billion bugs for every human on Earth, MacNeal says bugs aren't living in our world - we're living in theirs. Recently, views of one insect in particular, bees, have changed and more people recognize their importance but MacNeal says other bugs are vital to our economy as well.

"These two entomologists calculated, 'OK, besides pollination, what other services do insects provide?'" he says. "And they put that number around $57 billion (a year). However, the incalculable figure was decomposition - recycling nutrients. I mean, who knows how much that would cost."

MacNeal says the work of beetles and other insects in processing dead matter and rejuvenating soil is perhaps the most crucial and overlooked role bugs play. It's especially crucial for farmers and others who work on the land.

MacNeal describes bugs as bio-indicators for the planet. In other words, when we look at the health of insects, we can understand how the environment is doing.

"The more we look at them - which we are now more so than ever - the better chances of future generations actually casting aside their aversion and appreciating insects as this kind of gateway to nature - really, this mediator between man and nature," he explains.

MacNeal says bugs could play an even more vital role in the future, possibly becoming widespread as snacks because they're a good source of protein. Medicine, too, could benefit. MacNeal says there is research into the use of scorpion venom in the treatment of brain tumors.


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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

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Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


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Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

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The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

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Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

 

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