![Once nearly extinct, American bald eagle populations have quadrupled in last decade](https://cbsnews3.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2021/03/24/8d75337f-fca5-4526-8459-914f86a6ba5c/thumbnail/1200x630/1b6db2020e5a588e628d7176a56ded12/gettyimages-200440345-001.jpg)
Once nearly extinct, American bald eagle populations have quadrupled in last decade
CBSN
Populations of American bald eagles, once on the brink of extinction, have pleasantly surprised experts — quadrupling in size since 2009.
In 1963, there were just 417 known bald eagle nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. But according to a new report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States' beloved national symbol is now thriving, with more than 71,4000 nesting pairs. Scientists say there are now an estimated 316,700 individual bald eagles in the contiguous United States — a rapid increase in recent years. For comparison, the population was estimated to be 72,434 individuals, including 30,548 breeding pairs, in 2009.![](/newspic/picid-6252001-20250214202746.jpg)
Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a high-stakes meeting at this year's Munich Security conference to discuss the Trump administration's efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Vance said the U.S. seeks a "durable" peace, while Zelenskyy expressed the desire for extensive discussions to prepare for any end to the conflict.
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Washington — The Trump administration on Thursday intensified its sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, the nation's largest employer, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who hadn't yet gained civil service protection - potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.
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It was Labor Day weekend 2003 when Matt Scribner, a local horse farrier and trainer who also competes in long-distance horse races, was on his usual ride in a remote part of the Sierra Nevada foothills — just a few miles northeast of Auburn, California —when he noticed a freshly dug hole along the trail that piqued his curiosity.