Disasters

"The Trump administration says it will uphold a Biden-era ban on the ongoing use of asbestos after previously saying it would reconsider the rule."

"The National Weather Service issued timely alerts, meteorologists say, but few were listening in the hours before the early morning flash floods."  "The catastrophic floods that struck central Texas on Friday show that accurate weather forecasts alone aren’t enough to save lives."

"The White House is planning to eliminate the board, a small agency that investigates chemical disasters to understand what went wrong."

"The deadly Texas floods are drawing renewed scrutiny to Trump administration cuts at the nation’s weather and climate research agencies."

"The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend surpassed 100 on Monday as search-and-rescue teams continued to wade into swollen rivers and use heavy equipment to untangle trees as part of the massive search for missing people."

"In hearings on a draft rule to prevent heat-related illness in millions of vulnerable U.S. workers, top health and safety experts explain why relying on employers to “do the right thing” costs lives." 

"While wealthy coastal counties bear the brunt of landfalling storms, poor residents in inland counties are navigating an even bleaker insurance market that leaves them at risk of no coverage."

"Colossal bursts of rain like the ones that caused the deadly flooding in Texas are becoming more frequent and intense around the globe as the burning of fossil fuels heats the planet, scientists say."

"Rising death toll: At least 82 people have died and dozens are still missing after devastating floods hit central Texas. In Kerr County, the hardest-hit area, at least 40 adults and 28 children have been killed, officials say."

"The spacecraft, MethaneSAT, was just a year into its mission to provide a clearer picture of planet-warming emissions from oil and gas sites." "For nearly two weeks, however, the mission’s controllers have been unable to get in contact with the satellite. It has lost power, they said, and most likely cannot be recovered."