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Lions will soon gain protections under the Endangered Species Act. -

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to declare lions from Central and West African countries endangered today, which will prohibit hunters from importing them as trophies. Big cats from the continents southern and eastern stretches will be listed as threatened. The highly-publicized death of Cecil the Lion last summer helped catalyze the moves. New York Times

President Obama vetoes GOP resolutions to kill climate rules. -

Before jetting off to spend the holidays in Hawaii, President Obama used his fourth and fifth vetoes of the year to nix two separate attempts by Congress to reverse the Clean Power Plan. Aloha!  USA Today

Greenland’s rate of ice loss has doubled. -

A new study finds the ice sheet has lost more than 9,000 gigatons since 1900, contributing around an inch of global sea level rise over 110 years. And the rate of loss between 2003 and 2010 was double the average rate of the rest of the 20th century. Whether the meltdown continues to accelerate will depend on nations sticking to their carbon-cutting promisesWashington Post

Today is the last day of work for British coal miners. -

Yorkshires Kellingley Colliery, the only remaining underground mine in the UK, closes today, marking the end of an era for the dirty fuel. A century ago, Britain had more than 3,000 deep mines, but the nation is working to phase out coal-fired plants by 2025. Bloomberg

Beijing issues second red alert for air pollution. -

Until last week, the city had never resorted to the highest level of its four-tier air quality warning system. Now officials are issuing the warning for the second time, meaning that more than three consecutive days of dangerous smog are expected. Al Jazeera

Arctic report card paints a grim picture. -

NOAAs annual assessment of the region's health found that for the second consecutive year, the Arctic has warmed faster than anywhere else on earth. Among the negative effects were diminished sea ice, struggling walrus populations, and shifting fish ranges. Washington Post