Premature delisting severely threatens continued existence of the northern Rockies gray wolf. WASHINGTON - Today the Bush administration finalized its controversial decision to remove the northern Rockies gray wolf from the list of species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The delisting will take effect 30 days after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) publishes the final rule in the Federal Register next week. The removal of federal protections for the gray wolf puts ... [full story]

CORNWALL, Ontario -- Canadian authorities said they arrested a trucker for driving a trailer with $1.5 million worth of contraband cigarettes in southeastern Ontario.In a joint operation involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Border Security Agency and the Ontario Provincial Police, the unidentified 47-year-old man was pulled over on a highway Sunday, the Ottawa Sun reported Tuesday.There were more than 900 cases of cigarettes in the trailer valued at $1,526,250, which under the Excise ... [full story]

LOS ANGELES - The Church of Scientology, the U.S. religion known for its movie star adherents, reportedly is being harassed by a group calling itself "Anonymous."The attacks began after the church demanded the removal of clips from a 2004 interview with Tom Cruise from YouTube and other Web sites, the Los Angeles Times reports. A computer-generated video posted online by "Anonymous" called for anti-Scientology protests Feb. 10 and threatened the church. Since then, hackers have taken ... [full story]

In the opening scene of "Cloverfield," the much-buzzed monster movie from "Lost" mastermind J.J. Abrams, a young man sticks a video camera in his mate's face as she emerges from under the bedcovers.   MONSTER BUZZ - Michael Stahl-David and Jessica Lucas slam the door on an uninvited beast in the monster flick 'Cloverfield.' CNS Photo courtesy of Sam Emerson.  "Oh, I can just see this ending up on the Internet," she groans. Actually, just about everything ... [full story]

Almost every day, Vanessa Wilbourn looked forward to a cup of tea from Starbucks on her drive to high school. Then several weeks ago, she started wondering about whether her habit was good for the Earth. After watching a TV show about practical ways to become environmentally conscious, she decided to start small.   SMALL CHANGES - Sisters Trina Koller, left, and Trudy Balestreri sort through the first shipment of the reusable shopping bags they designed. ... [full story]

PORTLAND, Ore. - U.S. daytime soap opera star Shell Kepler has reportedly died of renal failure in Portland, Oregon. She was 49.Kepler played nurse Amy Vining on "General Hospital" for more than 20 years. IMDB.com said she also had a recurring role on the sit-com "Three's Company."Kepler moved to Portland after leaving the long-running soap opera "General Hospital," TMZ.com reported. The Medical Examiner's office told the celebrity news Web site Kepler died of renal failure. © ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - A conservative group is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to approve ads for its documentary "Hillary: The Movie" despite Federal Election Commission rules.The movie, critical of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., opened Jan. 16 in Washington and is being shown in selected cities.But, the group behind the film, Citizens United, cannot use its three TV commercials unless it agrees to FEC rules. Without ads, it's unlikely many will see the film, ... [full story]

LOS ANGELES - "Juno" scribe Diablo Cody won the Oscar for best original screenplay at the 80th Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles Sunday night.The film was also a contender for the best picture prize, which went to "No Country for Old Men.""What is happening?" a surprised Cody said as she collected her award for the popular teen pregnancy comedy. "This is for the writers. ... I especially want to thank all my fellow nominees ... [full story]

Try as you might, you won't find a painter who loved nature more than Asher Durand.   'KINDRED SPIRITS' - 'Kindred Spirits,' an icon of 19th-century American art, was in the recent Asher B. Durand exhibit at San Diego Museum of Art. CNS Photo courtesy of San Diego Museum of Art.  "All the fascination of treatment in light, and, dark and color, are seen in Nature," he wrote in a series of published letters offered as advice ... [full story]

MEXICO CITY - A popular Mexican singer of songs about the country's drug trafficking was killed by drug gang members, El Universal reported Thursday.Known as the "Little Rooster," Jesus Rey David Alfaro was gunned down in the border town of Tijuana, along with his manager and assistant.The body of Alfaro, believed to have ties to the Arellano Felix cartel, was discovered last week with a bullet wound to his head, said authorities.He was the latest ... [full story]