Archive - May 2017 - blog

John F. Kennedy (left) with his older brother Joseph, C. 1919. (John F. Kennedy Library Foundation)

The Kennedy Family in Hyannis Port., 1946. From left, John F. Kennedy, Jean Kennedy, Rose Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., Patricia Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy, and, in foreground, Edward M. Kennedy. (John F. Kennedy Library)

A portrait of the Kennedy brothers, John F. Kennedy (left) and Joseph Kennedy Jr. (right), seated in their naval uniforms, 1945. As a lieutenant in the navy, JFK was a PT-boat commander. (Getty)

Senator Kennedy making notes during his presidential campaign, September 1960. (Getty)

Senator John F. Kennedy winds up his presidential campaign at a huge rally in Boston Garden on Nov. 7, 1960. After a whirlwind tour through New England on the final day of campaigning, Kennedy returned to address a crowd of over 22,000 enthusiastic supporters. He reminded the supporters of his Boston roots. (Ed Kelley / Globe Staff)

Kennedy valued his time in Cape Cod - "I always come back to the Cape and walk on the beach when I have a tough decision to make. The Cape is the one place I can think, and be alone."  read more »

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Many species in peril on Endangered Species Day
From climate change to habitat fragmentation, pollution and human conflict, species around the world are facing a slew of threats to their survival.
The National Geographic Photo Ark project aims to capture photos of every species living in the world's zoos and other protected areas before they disappear. Throughout the summer, more than 45,000 digital screens across the country will feature Photo Ark images as part of the National Geographic Society and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) #SaveTogether campaign aimed at saving species at risk in the wild.

As the world marks Endangered Species Day on May 19, here's a look at some of the species that have been featured in the Photo Ark project, and some of the startling statistics about endangered species:

* More than 23,000 species on the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction.
* 41% of the world's amphibians, 34% of conifers, 33% of reef building corals, 25% of mammals and 13% of birds, are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN Red list database.
* 59% of all the carnivore species weighing 33 pounds or more are listed as threatened. Likewise, 60% of all the herbivore species weighing 220 pounds or more are listed as threatened, according to the National Geographic Photo Ark.
* 700 or fewer Sumatran tigers remain in the wild.
* 1447 species in the U.S. are on the threatened and endangered species list, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service.  read more »

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The number of bicyclists is growing rapidly from coast to coast. The National Household Travel Survey showed that the number of trips made by bicycle in the U.S. more than doubled from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009.
For bicyclists of all stripes, there's nothing like Bike to Work Day (BTWD), an annual celebration of active transportation. Thanks, in part, to encouragement efforts like BTWD, the number of bike commuters is on the rise, as well — especially in Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC). From 2000 to 2013, bicycle commuting rates in large BFCs increased 105% — far above the national average of 62% and more than double the rate in non-BFCs (31%).

According to the ACS, in 2012 about .64% of commutes are made by bicycle, which represents an almost 10% increase from 2011. This is the largest year-on-year increase since 2007-2008, showing that people are choosing to use their bicycles for transportation not just in response to economic crisis, but because bicycles are leading the way to recovery. In total, there were 864,883 bike commuters in 2012.
Since 2000, ACS data shows a 61.6% increase in bicycle commuting.  read more »