(The Hill) — After long being an unofficial symbol, the white head, yellow beak bald eagle became the official U.S. bird on Christmas Eve. President Joe Biden signed 50 bills into law Tuesday.

The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday: It officially became the country's national bird.

Georgia Southern University and all of Eagle Nation are mourning the death of what has become an iconic part of the university for the past two decades. Freedom, the university’s live eagle mascot, ...