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Just how do trees die? It seems like a simple question, but the answer still eludes scientists. And understanding forest ecology is increasingly important as the effects of climate change begin to take root.

Thor Hanson's new book looks at the evolutionary significance of feathers in birds. Hanson tells Fresh Air that he's amazed by birds' magnitude of feathers, how feathers grow and how they're the "most efficient insulation known."

With dense forests and rugged beauty, Grindstone Island is a favorite summer getaway for visitors — and some of them never want to leave. The island near the Canadian border has one official cemetery, but locals say that hundreds of people are buried there, in unofficial gravesites.

The nonprofit in charge of distributing organs wants to revamp the system for distributing kidneys for the first time in 25 years. But some transplant specialists and bioethicists fear the changes could end up discriminating against some patients.

In November, voters will decide whether new state laws on issues such as labor policy, immigration and gay marriage can remain in effect. They're using a process called "popular referendum." Different from a ballot initiative, it amounts to a public veto of elected officials. And its use is growing.

It can be lonely being a Democrat in the Deep South. In the reliably Republican region, even recruiting viable Democratic candidates can be a challenge. But strategists are looking to nearby states to learn how the party might start to make inroads in such red territory.

Celebrities like Rebel Wilson and Melissa McCarthy are helping bring plus-size clothing into the mainstream. But most retailers lag behind, making it difficult for women to find clothes in stores.

Americans embraced yogurt only after manufacturers upped the sweet factor. Now new startups aim to wean us from the sugar habit. Think yogurt with a kick of jalapeño or a drizzle of olive oil.

In 2015, mobile games revenues are expected to hit more than $30 billion worldwide. Apple wants these casual gamers to play their mobile games on its streaming TV console.

When a 23-year-old who has tried to kill himself visits family, he must mentally prepare to resist hurting himself with their guns, he says. Gun access can make suicidal impulses harder to fend off.