Origins Of The Endangered Species Act

Humpback whales may be coming off the endangered species list soon - federal officials are expected to announce a decision within the next few weeks.

Regardless of what they decide, one thing is clear: without whales and other marine mammals, there might not even be an endangered species list.

In the first of a series exploring humpback whales and the Endangered Species Act, KCAW reporter Rachel Waldholz and biologist Ellen Chenoweth explain how one of the nation's most enduring environmental