For the Record - May 16, 2008

Polar bear’s status: Headlines in Thursday’s Section A about an Interior Department ruling said that it was listing the polar bear as an endangered species. The Interior Department actually gave the bear “threatened” status under the Endangered Species Act. An “endangered” species is defined by the act as facing likely extinction in its natural habitat, while a “threatened” species is seen as one that’s likely to fall into the endangered category in the foreseeable future.