National (U.S.)

"Mass die-offs in California, the Southwest and Europe are not only tied to global warming by new studies, they will add to it."

"The Interior Department said Thursday it is changing the way it values coal mined from public lands in the West to make sure mining companies are not shortchanging taxpayers on sales to Asia and other markets."

"The race by automakers and technology firms to develop self-driving cars has been fueled by the belief that computers can operate a vehicle more safely than human drivers. But that view is now in question after the revelation on Thursday that the driver of a Tesla Model S electric sedan was killed in an accident when the car was in self-driving mode."

President Barack Obama signed reforms to the Freedom of Information Act into law Thursday, just in time for the 50th birthday of the nation's landmark open government law on July Fourth. The bill capped years of work by ovocates in Washington.

"A self-described conservative North Carolina businessman has promised to spend at least $5 million through his political action committee to back five Republican congressional candidates who have supported taking action to curb climate change."

"Georgia Power said it found arsenic and other toxic chemicals in a handful of test wells near coal ash ponds at three of its power plants near Newnan, Rome and Savannah."

"The poorest parts of Houston remind Dr. Peter Hotez of some of the neighborhoods in Latin America hardest hit by Zika."

"Environmentalists are demanding that one of the most prized fishes on the planet be listed as an endangered species."

"The U.S. Virgin Islands' attorney general on Wednesday agreed to withdraw a sweeping subpoena issued against Exxon Mobil Corp as part of a push by a coalition of state prosecutors to try to investigate whether the world's largest publicly traded oil company misled the public about climate change risks."

"Every place has its own sound. A small group of scientists is hard at work recording the natural sounds of national parks all across the U.S. — more than 70 soundscapes so far."