The New York Times

• A postcard from the Pleistocene
  I recently learned about  the Polaris Project, a fascinating scientific and educational expedition under way on one of the more remote, unusual rivers on the planet, the  Kolyma in eastern Siberia. It is the largest river in the world that is completely underlain by permafrost. The region, like most of the Arctic, has seen substantial warming, and the expedition, among other things, is aiming to measure how much carbon dioxide and methane could be liberated if the permafrost thaws in a big way. 
  
  Online extras: Audio Slideshow

The Bellingham Herald

• WWU receives $900,000 grant for math and science teachers
  Western Washington University will use a newly acquired National Science Foundation grant to help students become science and math teachers by offering scholarships and stipends.
  
  The five-year, $900,000 grant is from NSF's Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which encourages science, technology, engineering and math students and professionals to become middle and high school teachers.
  
  WWU will use the grant to offer 61 $10,000 scholarships to WWU students and private-sector professionals who are interested in making a career change to teaching science and math.
  

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• WWU suspends PAC Series
  Western Washington University suspended its Performing Arts Center Series for at least two years Friday, July 24, because of budget cuts.
  
  The PAC Series began in its current state in 1991, bringing dancers, musicians and singers to Western's campus, including Philip Glass, Quartet San Francisco and The Chieftains. The performances would take place from four to 12 times a year depending on the budget.
  
  The university's recent budget cuts caused the College of Fine and Performing Arts to choose what it could keep and what it could give up.
  

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• WWU standout Ira Graham gets tryout with NBA' s Washington Wizards
  In the next month former Western Washington University basketball standout Ira Graham will have what could be the job interview of a lifetime.
  
  Graham, 23, has been invited to try out for the Washington Wizards of the NBA sometime in early August. A good performance could lead to a spot on the Wizards' NBA Developmental League roster. He could also land a spot with the team's NBA franchise.

Seattle Examiner

• Got manure? The latest funky fuel that makes your car go
  I’ve already covered urine as an alternative fuel source, now here’s one that is udderly unbelieveable! Western Washington University’s Vehicle Research Institute in Bellingham has a lot of 40 plus vehicles that were built from scratch. There is one vehicle in particular, a Viking 32, which the institute’s program director Eric Leonhardt says is the world’s first plug-in hybrid car powered by biogas, or fuel derived from cow manure.