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National

Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act — one of the U.S.' most pivotal attempts at saving threatened wildlife. 

Why it matters: The act has helped save hundreds of species from extinction, per the Department of the Interior, though a lack of funding and efforts to weaken the act among lawmakers have posed challenges to the law. 

The big picture: In an effort to protect threatened wildlife, then-President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act on Dec. 28, 1973.

Nixon said the act would give the federal government the authority to identify endangered species early on and the "means to act quickly and thoroughly" to prevent species from becoming extinct, per the American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara.

"Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed," Nixon added.

The Endangered Species Act was also designed to "promote the conservation of ecosystems and habitats necessary for the survival of those species," according to the Interior Department. 

Between the lines: In recent years, several lawmakers have sought to weaken the law, which the nonprofit conservation organization Defenders of Wildlife mainly attributes to "economic interests." 

Decades of "inadequate" funding for recovery actions has impacted the effectiveness of the act, per a 2022 study.

Here's a look at just five of the many species, previously at risk of extinction, which have had major comebacks since the act's passage. 

The bald eagle, a prominent American symbol and the country's national bird, was at risk of extinction by the mid-1900s, per the Interior Department.

The future of bald eagles grew uncertain thanks to food source contamination mainly driven from DDT, habitat destruction and degradation in addition to illegal shooting, the Interior Department notes. 

In 2007, the bald eagle was no longer on the endangered species list. 

The Interior Department estimated a bald eagle population of 316,700 in the lower 48 states as of 2021.

American alligator appears on rock formation

"American alligator populations reached an all-time low in the 1950s, due to overhunting and habitat loss," per the Interior Department. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In 1967, the American alligator was listed as endangered, per the Interior Department, which notes that "market hunting and habitat loss" had mainly contributed to the alligators' low population numbers. 

The act's protections helped get them off the endangered species list in 1987.

In Louisiana, one of the alligators' primary homes, its gator population had dropped below 100,000 when the act was enacted. 

Today, it numbers over 2 million, Axios New Orleans' Chelsea Brasted writes from Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries data. 

A yellow-breasted Kirtland’s warbler sitting on a tree branch in an undisclosed location.

"Kirtland's warblers are referred to as the 'bird of fire' because they rely on the fire-dependent jack pine forest," per the Interior Department. Photo: Interior Department/X

The Kirtland's warbler, placed on the endangered species list in 1973, faced "habitat loss and parasitism," per the Interior Department.

The bird's population grew from "170 breeding pairs in the 1970s and '80s" to "2,300 breeding pairs in 2019" — the same year it was removed from the endangered species list, per the department.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18: A Grizzly Bear walks through its enclosure at Central Park Zoo during a snow fall on February 18, 2021 in New York City. The U.S. National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory that a total of 6 to 8 inches of snow is expected on Thursday and Friday in parts of the Northeast, including Southeast New York.

Before 1800, an estimated 50,000 grizzly bears roamed parts of the U.S., per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Grizzly bears' populations plummeted after government-funded bounty programs were implemented in the 19th century, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

They were also threatened by habitat loss to the resources industry and logging, per the Endangered Species Coalition.

Thanks to the act's protections and help from conservation organizations, nearly 2,000 grizzly bears now reside in the contiguous U.S., National Geographic notes.

Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, Maui, Hawaii, USA 

"Historically, green turtle populations all over the world have been depleted due to overharvesting," NOAA notes. Photo: Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Many green sea turtle populations have been rising since the act's passage, according to NOAA, which notes some of the threats they still face, such as climate change and habitat loss.

"Nesting in the state of Florida increased from around 4,000 nests in the 1980s to more than 230,000 in the 2010s," per NOAA.

Go deeper: The American alligator is an Endangered Species Act win

The American alligator is an Endangered Species Act win

Endangered Species Act turns 50, saves hundreds of species

While it's helped save hundreds of species, a study found "inadequate" funding has impacted its effectiveness.

Bird (a bald eagle) flies over a clear sky 

A bald eagle flies over Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., on March 11. Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Endangered species

Science

President Biden held a difficult conversation last weekend with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's decision to withhold part of the tax revenue it collects for the Palestinian Authority, according to two U.S. and Israeli officials and a source with knowledge of the issue.

The big picture: A U.S. official said this part of last Saturday's call between the two leaders was one of the most difficult and "frustrating" conversations Biden has had with Netanyahu since the beginning of the war in Gaza. It's a sign of the growing tensions between Biden and Netanyahu. 

Catch up quick: The tax revenues Israel collects for the Palestinian Authority under an agreement between the parties are a major source of income for the PA, which is already in a financial crisis.

Israel's far-right ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in October decided to suspend the transfer of all of the tax revenue funds after the Hamas terrorist attack.

But the Israeli government said that it would transfer all the funds except for those it says go to Hamas-run Gaza. 

The PA, however, has refused to accept a partial transfer of the funds, raising concerns in the Biden administration about a potential economic collapse of the Palestinian Authority. 

The issue has become a thorn for Netanyahu, who is facing pressure from the Biden administration to release the funds, and Smotrich, who has expressed opposition to the release of any of the funds, even indirectly, and has threatened to resign over the issue, which could put the prime minister's coalition government at risk. 

Driving the news: In recent weeks the Biden administration has been pressing the Israeli government to release the Palestinian tax revenues it is withholding.

The Biden administration has expressed concerns that an economic collapse of the PA could lead to a violent escalation in the occupied West Bank as a result of it not being able to pay its security forces their salaries. 

Behind the scenes: Saturday's 45-minute call between Biden and Netanyahu focused on the next phase of Israel's ground operation, Israeli and U.S. officials said.

But towards the end of the call, Biden raised his concerns about the withheld Palestinian tax revenues.

According to the officials, Biden asked Netanyahu to accept a proposal that the Israeli prime minister raised himself several weeks ago: to transfer the withheld tax revenues to Norway for safekeeping until an arrangement can be found that will assuage Israel's concerns that the funds could reach Hamas. 

The Palestinian Authority has already accepted this proposal and told the U.S. that under such an agreement it will resume taking part of the tax revenues that weren't withheld, according to a U.S. official. 

A U.S. official and a source with knowledge of the call said Netanyahu backtracked and said he doesn't think this is a good idea anymore. He told Biden he doesn't trust the Norwegians and said the Palestinian Authority should just accept the partial transfer of the funds. 

Biden pushed back and said the U.S. trusts Norway's proposal and this should be enough for Israel to trust it too, the U.S. official and the source with knowledge of the call said.

According to the U.S. and Israeli officials, Biden told Netanyahu that he should face the hardliners in his coalition on this issue like he is dealing with political pressure from Congress about the war in Gaza.

After a few minutes of discussion, Biden told Netanyahu he expects him to solve this issue, added that "this conversation is over" and ended the call, the U.S. official and source with knowledge of the call said. 

"The feeling was that the president is going out on a limb for Bibi every day and when Bibi needs to give something back and take some political risk he is unwilling to do it," one U.S. official said.

A second U.S. official who was asked to comment on this account tried to play down the argument and said Netanyahu didn't reject the Norway idea, but "just said they're still working through things on their end."

A White House spokesperson said the conversation between Biden and Netanyahu was "good and productive."

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

State of play: A few days after the Biden-Netanyahu call, the issue came up again during the meeting Israeli Minister Ron Dermer had in the White House with national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the second U.S. official said.

"We have made good progress and think this issue of tax revenue transfers is on its way to being resolved," the official said. 

Go deeper: Blinken expected to visit Middle East next week for talks on Gaza war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel collects for the Palestinian Authority

Scoop: Biden in "frustrating" call told Bibi to solve Palestinian tax revenue issue

It's a sign of the growing tensions between the two leaders.

President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 18. Photo: Handout/GPO/Anadolu via Getty Images

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

World

The U.S. is on course to end 2023 with one of the largest annual drops in homicides on record, according to preliminary figures from AH Datalytics, a data analysis firm.

Why it matters: The findings appear to be at odds with Americans' perception of crime both in their communities and in the rest of the country.  

More than three-quarters (77%) of Americans believe crime has increased in the U.S. since last year, according to a Gallup survey of 1,009 adults released last month.

A majority (55%) also said crime was rising in their local area.

"Both figures are similar to what Gallup measured last year and rank among the most pessimistic readings in the respective trends," the company said.

Annual rate of homicides in the U.S.

Reproduced from Datalytics; Chart: Axios Visuals

Driving the news: "Murder plummeted in the United States in 2023, likely at one of the fastest rates of decline ever recorded," writes Jeff Asher, co-founder of AH Datalytics, which tracks homicide numbers across the country.

By the numbers: Preliminary public data from 177 cities analyzed by AH Datalytics indicates that the country could see at least a 12% decrease in murders from last year.

Declines have been seen in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and other large cities.

The firm expects homicides overall to fall from 21,156 last year to around 18,450 this year, representing a 12.8% decline. 

Other forms of violent crime — rape, aggravated assault and robbery — are set to see a decline as well, according to preliminary quarterly data published by the FBI earlier this month. 

However, motor vehicle thefts are set to rise, which may be the result of defects within specific models — such as some Kia and Hyundai vehicles — that make them easier to steal. 

What they're saying: It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what causes crime to decline in the U.S., but Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told ABC News in a recent interview that she believes increased federal assistance to local law enforcement agencies is partially responsible for the decrease.

"We're using tools like crime-gun intelligence, the ability to trace the gun and the spent shell casing from a crime scene to identify who's that shooter, how many violent crimes have they been involved with," she said in the interview.

Detroit Police Chief James White told ABC News that he thinks the Motor City's homicide decline is partly the result of increased foot and bike patrols and community engagement tactics.

Yes, but: While there has been an overall decline in homicides, thousands were still killed or affected, and some cities saw steep spikes compared to last year.

Murders rose in Washington, D.C., (+36%), Memphis (+31%) and Dallas (+14%), among others.

The nationwide drop also follows the roughly 30% increase in murders in 2020. That means that despite this year's drop, homicides remain slightly elevated compared to 2019.

And considering that the data AH Datalytics used to create its estimates is preliminary, the eventual official homicide statistics for 2023 will likely be slightly different.

The big picture: Other data sources show a decline in violence, too, including the Gun Violence Archive (GVA).

Currently, the number of homicides, murders and unintentional killings it has cataloged stands just above 18,600, which is roughly 1,785 lower than the amount it recorded in 2022.

However, GVA has recorded more mass shootings and mass murders this year than it did last year.

Between the lines: Gallup notes that the public perception that the country is experiencing a fresh wave of crime could be a reaction to "the sharp rise in the murder rate nationally as well as news stories about car theft and shoplifting."

Public views on crime can also be influenced by politics, especially as the country gears up for election season and some candidates lean into "tough on crime" rhetoric that doesn't necessarily match reality.

"Republicans are far more likely than Democrats and independents to rate the U.S. crime problem as very serious and to say crime is increasing, both locally and nationally," per Gallup.

Media, too, can influence how the public perceives crime by regularly highlighting certain individual crimes without providing a wider context.

Go deeper: Courts take action as police reform stalls

Methodology: The Gallup survey interviewed 1,009 adults from all 50 states and D.C. between Oct. 2 and 23 and has a margin of error of ±4 percentage points.

Courts take action as police reform stalls

Homicides in U.S. set to drop by record numbers this year

Despite the decreases, a majority of Americans believe crime is rising in the country.

Police in New York City on scene in Central Park, where a man with multiple lacerations was pronounced dead on Dec. 11.

Police in New York City on scene in Central Park, where a man with multiple lacerations was pronounced dead on Dec. 11. Photo: Theodore Parisienne/NY Daily News via Getty Images

Axios

Thursday's top stories

Endangered Species Act turns 50, saves hundreds of species

Scoop: Biden in "frustrating" call told Bibi to solve Palestinian tax revenue issue

Homicides in U.S. set to drop by record numbers this year

Amazon joins flood of streaming service price hikes for 2024

Nikki Haley omits slavery when asked what caused the U.S. Civil War

2024 may be the hottest year in recorded history

Global mergers and acquisitions hit lowest level in a decade

Lauren Boebert abandons her House district for 2024 election

Colorado GOP urges U.S. Supreme Court to keep Trump on 2024 ballot

House GOP demands White House provide documents on Hunter Biden deposition