Consumer

"Like the tobacco industry before it, the chemical industry managed to keep PFAS’s health risks hidden from the public for decades. A new peer-reviewed study dissecting PFAS producers’ public relations strategies provides a smoking gun timeline composed of industry studies and comments from DuPont and 3M officials showing they knew the dangers, but publicly insisted the chemicals were safe."

"Hazy skies, the fiery, red sun, and the smell of smoke caught the attention of residents from Maryland to New England on Tuesday. The air quality spiked to very unhealthy levels across the Northeast on Wednesday morning as wildfire smoke from Canada poured into the region."

"President Joe Biden is awarding $115 million to support needed investments to rebuild Jackson, Mississippi’s water infrastructure, theGrio is first to report. The federal dollars are part of $600 million in appropriations funding approved by Congress last year."

"House conservatives blocked debate on legislation against gas stove rules Tuesday afternoon in protest of their leadership team."

"Thousands of low-income, Latino residents in Texas still do not have safe drinking water. In one El Paso colonia, residents see the benefits of solar distillation."

"SINGAPORE - Oil prices jumped more than $1 a barrel on Monday after the world's top exporter Saudi Arabia pledged to cut production by another 1 million barrels per day from July, counteracting macroeconomic headwinds that have depressed markets.

Brent crude futures were at $77.64 a barrel, up $1.51, or 2%, at 0014 GMT after earlier hitting a session-high of $78.73 a barrel.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $1.41, or 2%, to $73.15 a barrel, after touching an intraday high of $75.06 a barrel."

"After a rocky start to a week of negotiations, around 170 countries agreed to develop a first draft by November of what could become the first global treaty to curb plastic pollution by the end of next year.

"Three major chemical companies on Friday said they would pay more than $1 billion to settle the first in a wave of claims that they and other companies contaminated drinking water across the country with so-called forever chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other illnesses."

"Louisiana is joining nine other states in a lawsuit against the federal government over its new system for setting flood insurance rates, which is triggering steep hikes for homeowners, Attorney General Jeff Landry announced Thursday, calling the increases a “disaster of its own” that risks driving out families and businesses."

"Consumer groups are condemning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for allowing plastic containers made with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” to continue being distributed across the economy – even though the agency is suing a top manufacturer over the dangerous compounds leaching into containers’ contents, such as food or personal care products."