Lee Romney

The decline of sardines on the West Coast has prompted steep cuts in the amount fishermen are allowed to catch, and scientists say the effects are probably radiating throughout the ecosystem, starving brown pelicans, sea lions and other predators that rely on the oily, energy-rich fish for food.

A red flag rises whenever a caregiver kills a son or daughter with disabilities. Such cases often involve minor children and parents who deem the young lives not worth living, or the burdens of care too great.