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Rhino poaching in South Africa has reached record levels. -

The animals' horns fetch top dollar on the traditional Asian medicine market, and the first four months of 2015 saw an 18 percent increase in rhino killings compared to the same period last year. The majority—290 out of 393—have been in Kruger National Park. The Guardian

The Department of the Interior just OK'd a plan to drill in the Arctic this summer. -

The department's own environmental-impact statement found that drilling in the Chukchi Sea would come with a 75 percent chance of a major spill (and Shell doesn't exactly have a good safety record). The approval is contingent on the oil company's ability to obtain several other permits. New York Times

California may begin labeling products with BPA. -

State law requires disclosure of chemicals that are known to cause harm, and a scientific board recently decided that bisphenol-A, an endocrine disruptor commonly found in plastics, fits that description. A final decision could come in about a year. Reuters

Thousands of gallons of oil spilled into the Hudson River after a nuclear plant fire. -

A transformer failed at the Indian Point Energy Center 30 miles north of Manhattan over the weekend, causing an unknown quantity of transformer fluid to overflow from a holding tank into the river. The blaze is the plant's third accident this spring. CBS

It’s a beautiful industry. It makes people feel better, but if a lot of people knew the truth behind it...they wouldn't go.

Eugenia Colon, a former salon owner, discussing the dangerous chemicals manicurists are exposed to at work. Ingredients in nail-care products have been linked to miscarriages, cancer, and respiratory illness. Over the weekend, Andrew Cuomo announced emergency measures to address the problem.

Deforestation threatens species that are only found in one spot. -

A new analysis shows that tree-loss rates worldwide tend to be lower in areas where endemic species live—but those plants and animals are particularly vulnerable to habitat changes of any kind. Washington Post