National (U.S.)

"U.S. officials responsible for the Aug. 5 spill of toxic mine waste in southwestern Colorado had no plan in place for dealing with a catastrophic breach of the kind that fouled a long stretch of the state’s Animas River, an internal inquiry has concluded."

"Even as Louisiana embarks on a multi-billion-dollar program to begin rebuilding its coast, evidence continues to mount that new coastal land will have to contend with a more rapid rise in sea level than projected in present state plans."

"A U.S. court on Thursday blocked a federal clean water rule from going into effect in certain states until a legal challenge has been resolved, handing a victory to states and business groups that have strongly opposed the regulation."

President Obama spent time in New Orleans talking with residents about Hurricane Katrina on its tenth anniversary -- the progress in recovery, and the work left to do.

"A self-described whistleblower filed a lawsuit against DuPont chemical company Tuesday in the Harris County [Texas] District Court, alleging she was terminated from the company's La Porte plant because of her incessant reports of safety violations."

"In an effort to call attention to the present-day consequences of global warming, President Obama is soon to embark on a journey that no president has taken before. Not only will he set foot in the Alaskan Arctic, at the very edge of the state, but he will spend more time on the ground in Alaska than any president has ever done. Typically, Alaska is a refueling stop for Air Force One when traveling to and from Asia."

"Officials at solar power technology company Solyndra Inc. repeatedly gave false or misleading information to the Department of Energy (DOE) to get the loan guarantee that resulted in widespread condemnation of the Obama administration, an investigation found."

"Tropical storm warnings have been issued for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands."

"A coalition of groups have banded together to push the EPA to regulate wastewater disposal from oil and gas drilling."