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"John Beard takes no pleasure in being right. In January, he told Capital B that he feared U.S. military action in Venezuela, which ultimately gave America preferential access to the South American nation’s vast oil reserves, would lead to disaster in southeast Texas."
"An Iraqi militia allied with Iran offered on Wednesday to negotiate with the Iraqi government for the release of a kidnapped American journalist, according to two Iraqi security officials." "The Iranian-aligned militia, Kataib Hezbollah, is pressing for the release of members detained by the Iraqi government in exchange for freeing the journalist, Shelly Kittleson."
"A new study of pesticide exposure in Peru finds a mechanistic association between exposure and cancer, and shows how “complex pesticide mixtures” can contribute to the development of cancer in people, even at exposure levels currently deemed safe."
"A judge ruled on March 31 that construction on President Trump’s White House ballroom must halt until Congress authorizes the project. The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation."
"The U.S. Bureau of Land Management opened a seven-day public comment period on March 31 as part of its proposal to open 336,425 acres of public lands in the Greater Chaco Region in New Mexico to oil and gas drilling. If the proposal moves forward, new oil and gas leasing and development on federal lands will be allowed within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, even on lands directly bordering the park."
"Several high-ranking Trump officials that make up the so-called “God Squad” voted on Tuesday to quash longstanding Endangered Species Act regulations in the Gulf of Mexico, exempting all oil and gas drilling. It’s an outcome environmentalists fear could spell doom for the critically endangered Rice’s whale, a species that only exists in the Gulf and has just 50 whales left in existence."
"The plaintiffs are asking for the entire Texas prison system to be air-conditioned by the end of 2029 in a trial that is expected to last two weeks."
"The Justice Department and the state of Vermont faced off in a federal courtroom on Monday over the state’s landmark 2024 “climate superfund” law, which will require fossil fuel companies to pay for the mounting costs of climate change." "The law would make fuel companies help pay for damages caused by climate change. The administration argues it’s unconstitutional."
"A federal judge has knocked down the core of President Trump's executive order barring federal funding for NPR and PBS, saying it violated the broadcasters' First Amendment rights on its face."
"Gov. Newsom’s administration has proposed ending a program that’s brought a gigawatt of grid relief online. Lawmakers want to know what will replace it."
"A planned 1.3-mile wall across Mount Cristo Rey has drawn opposition from environmentalists and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces"
"Thousands of dead fish are washing ashore and people are falling ill too, as officials investigate possible sources of contamination."
"The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has opened the door to punitive damages in a class-action lawsuit regarding contamination from “forever chemicals” called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on people’s private property."
"A long-term project to remove or modify dams may clear the way for endangered wild Atlantic salmon to swim freely up to the Sandy River. But it faces opposition from business and lawmakers."
"A new label promises single-use cups are recyclable. But that doesn't mean they actually get recycled."
