Humpback Whales' Comeback Could Mean Reduced Protection

An ongoing count of endangered humpback whales - like the two that made a lengthy side trip into the Sacramento Delta recently - is revealing a comeback so convincing that marine scientists are pondering a controversial question: Is it time for the whales, hunted to near-extinction in the 20th century, to have less protection under the federal Endangered Species Act? "The standard is whether they are out of the immediate risk of extinction. The answer to that is probably yes," said Jay Barlow, a marine biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But he said "there likely will be resistance" if such an effort begins...