New Lichen Named for Obama

The latest honor for the president: A University of California scientist has named a new species of lichen after him, the Los Angeles Times reports. It's a compliment. The scientist did much of his research on Caloplaca obamae during the campaign and says the strain shares a characteristic with the president: they're both resilient. He also wanted to acknowledge Obama's emphasis on science. “I think there’s a dung beetle named after Bush,” he said. “That’s definitely an insult.” (More President Obama stories.)