State and federal wildlife officials are investigating reports of a manatee found with “Trump” drawn on its back in a Florida river.
The aquatic mammal was spotted over the weekend in the Homosassa River in Citrus County, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed. The area is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Tampa.
“West Indian manatees are essential members of the ecosystems in which they inhabit and are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act,” USFWS Director Aurelia Skipwith said in a statement.
The manatee does not appear to be seriously injured, officials said. It appears that the word was written in algae that had grown on the animal’s back, not scratched into its skin.
Wildlife officials are looking for any information regarding the animal's harassment. Tips can be reported at 888-404-3922. The Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit group that protects endangered animals, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case.
Harassing a manatee, a federal crime, is punishable by a $50,000 fine and up to one year in prison.
Apple said it has an agreement to reinstate Parler, the social network popular with supporters of former President Donald Trump it kicked off its app store in January over ties to the deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol.
The United States and China, the world’s two biggest carbon polluters, have agreed to cooperate to curb climate change with urgency.
Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings, talked to Cheddar about the online sportsbook's deal with the NFL and the future of legal sports gambling in the U.S.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y. 17th District) is the first member of Congress to call on 82-year-old Justice Stephen Breyer, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, to retire.
Nine lives notwithstanding, killing a cat in a hit-and-run soon could become illegal in New Hampshire.
Cheddar takes a closer look at the controversy surrounding COVID-19 "vaccine passports."
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to 576,000, a hopeful sign that layoffs are easing as the economy recovers from the pandemic recession.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Cheddar to discuss the growing calls from some Democrats to have President Biden eliminate up to $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower.
President Joe Biden says he will withdraw the remaining U.S. troops from Afghanistan and end America's longest war.
