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Amtrak officials say a train departing from New Orleans derailed not far from Chicago's Union Station.more>> Amtrak officials say a train departing from New Orleans derailed not far from Chicago's Union Station.more>> A government report says construction of a new Veterans Affairs hospital in New Orleans is $370 million over budget and 14 months behind schedule.more>> A government report says construction of a new Veterans Affairs hospital in New Orleans is $370 million over budget and 14 months behind schedule.more>> The State Fire Marshal's Office is asking for assistance in the investigation of a series of fires in St. Charles Parish.more>> The State Fire Marshal's Office is asking for assistance in the investigation of a series of fires in St. Charles Parish.more>> Authorities say a 12-year-old boy accidentally shot his 8-year-old brother with a gun he found in a closet at his grandparents' Baton Rouge home.more>> Authorities say a 12-year-old boy accidentally shot his 8-year-old brother with a gun he found in a closet at his grandparents' Baton Rouge home.more>> The Tangipahoa Parish School Board will use rededicated sales tax revenue, cuts to transportation services, elimination of a perfect-attendance salary bonus and a one-time reduction in the board-mandated minimum fund balance.more>> The Tangipahoa Parish School Board will use rededicated sales tax revenue, cuts to transportation services, elimination of a perfect-attendance salary bonus and a one-time reduction in the board-mandated minimum fund balance.more>> Police are investigating a fatal accident Sunday morning that left an unidentified man dead.more>> Police are investigating a fatal accident Sunday morning that left an unidentified man dead.more>> The National Flood Insurance Program has set up a hotline to provide information to Louisiana residents.more>> The National Flood Insurance Program has set up a hotline to provide information to Louisiana residents.more>> It's all about the odds, and one lone ticket in Florida has beaten them all by matching each of the numbers drawn for the highest Powerball jackpot in history at an estimated $590.5 million, lottery officials said Sunday.more>> It's all about the odds, and one lone ticket in Florida has beaten them all by matching each of the numbers drawn for the highest Powerball jackpot in history at an estimated $590.5 million, lottery officials said Sunday.more>> The incident happened Saturday afternoonmore>> The incident happened Saturday afternoonmore>> 1500 jobs could be in jeopardy if the Algiers-Canal Street ferry goes out of service because of lack of funding. That's according to a local non-profit who recently surveyed riders.more>> 1500 jobs could be in jeopardy if the Algiers-Canal Street ferry goes out of service because of lack of funding. That's according to a local non-profit who recently surveyed riders.more>>
BERLIN (AP) - The hunt for the perfect
Christmas tree may soon become a lot easier: just pick a nice clone.
That's what German scientists are
now working on: They are searching a way to ensure that the sensitive saplings
of the popular Nordmann fir species grow into impressive specimens.
The fir is native to the Caucasus,
but is often cultivated on massive plantations in Germany.
Biologist Kurt Zoglauer of Berlin's Humboldt
University said Friday 40
percent of trees don't make the cut when they mature after 10 to 14 years. Some
are stunted by frost, while others turn out the wrong shade of green.
Zoglauer's team therefore hopes to
refine a method to clone particularly hardy and beautiful trees by 2016.
The project is supported by a German
government grant.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or redistributed.)
