EJToday: Top Headlines

Trump FDA Considers Physician, A Fox News Regular, For Top Vaccine Post [9]

"The Trump administration is considering Houman Hemmati, an ophthalmologist, entrepreneur and frequent Fox News guest, to serve as the nation’s next top regulator of vaccines and treatments for complex diseases, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations."

Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Laws & Regulations [14]
People & Population [15]
Science [16]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
Source: Washington Post [19], 04/16/2026
- Read more about Trump FDA Considers Physician, A Fox News Regular, For Top Vaccine Post [9]
Gray Whales, Once Rare In San Francisco Bay, Dying There At Alarming Rates [20]

"Researchers find increase in whale deaths in the bay, largely because of collisions with vessels on busy shipping route"

Biodiversity [21]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [23]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
California [24]
Source: Guardian [25], 04/16/2026
- Read more about Gray Whales, Once Rare In San Francisco Bay, Dying There At Alarming Rates [20]
"Americans’ View Of Environment Hits New Low Ahead Of Earth Day: Gallup" [26]

"A new Gallup survey found that a record-low 35 percent of American respondents rated the quality of their country’s environment positively, just more than a week before Earth Day."

Air [27]
Chemicals [28]
Climate Change [29]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Journalism & Media [30]
People & Population [15]
Pollution [31]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
Source: The Hill [32], 04/16/2026
- Read more about "Americans’ View Of Environment Hits New Low Ahead Of Earth Day: Gallup" [26]
"Congaree, A National Park As Impressive As Its Trees" [33]

"CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK, S.C. — Rising possibly 175 feet above the floodplain, propped up by a trunk 15 feet around at its base, America’s tallest loblolly pine dwarfed the veteran state biologist standing beneath it."

Biodiversity [21]
Consumer [34]
Forests [35]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Natural Resources [36]
People & Population [15]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [23]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [37]
Source: National Parks Traveler [38], 04/16/2026
- Read more about "Congaree, A National Park As Impressive As Its Trees" [33]
"Gas Industry Front Group Targets Democrats in Pennsylvania" [39]

"The industry group pays politicians to convince voters that natural gas is the “most affordable and reliable energy source.”"

Climate Change [29]
Consumer [34]
Economy & Business [40]
Energy & Fuel [41]
Environmental Politics [11]
Journalism & Media [30]
People & Population [15]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [42]
Source: Inside Climate News [43], 04/15/2026
- Read more about "Gas Industry Front Group Targets Democrats in Pennsylvania" [39]
"Chemical Threats Nearby? Trump’s EPA Doesn’t Want You to Know." [44]

"Climate change is making the risk of disastrous chemical accidents more likely. But the EPA wants to gut recently enhanced safety requirements for hazardous facilities."

Chemicals [28]
Disasters [45]
Energy & Fuel [41]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Infrastructure [46]
Journalism & Media [30]
Laws & Regulations [14]
People & Population [15]
Pollution [31]
Technology [47]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [37]
Source: Inside Climate News [48], 04/15/2026
- Read more about "Chemical Threats Nearby? Trump’s EPA Doesn’t Want You to Know." [44]
Judges In Louisiana's Big Oil Cases Have Financial Stakes In Defendants [49]

"Federal judges held stock, bonds and leased mineral rights to Exxon, Chevron and others while hearing cases against the companies alleging damage to the La. coast."

Chemicals [28]
Economy & Business [40]
Energy & Fuel [41]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Justice [50]
Environmental Politics [11]
Government [12]
Journalism & Media [30]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Pollution [31]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [23]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [37]
Source: Floodlight [51], 04/15/2026
- Read more about Judges In Louisiana's Big Oil Cases Have Financial Stakes In Defendants [49]
"NAACP Sues Musk’s xAI, Alleging Illegal Air Pollution" [52]

"The NAACP and its Mississippi State Conference are suing Elon Musk’s xAI, alleging that it did not get a permit before emitting large amounts of pollution into a Memphis-area community."

Air [27]
Economy & Business [40]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Justice [50]
Environmental Politics [11]
Journalism & Media [30]
Laws & Regulations [14]
People & Population [15]
Pollution [31]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [37]
Source: The Hill [53], 04/15/2026
- Read more about "NAACP Sues Musk’s xAI, Alleging Illegal Air Pollution" [52]
"Afghanistan’s Capital Is In The Grip Of A Water Crisis" [54]

"The woman was furious. Standing in the muddy lane sloping up the hill in one of the Afghan capital’s poorer neighborhoods, she pulled her headscarf aside to reveal thick grey-white hair. “You see this hair? Even I with my white hair, I have to carry water,” said Marofa, 52, a resident of Kabul’s Deh Mazang neighborhood who, like many Afghans, goes by one name."

Climate Change [29]
Disasters [45]
Environmental Health [10]
Infrastructure [46]
People & Population [15]
Pollution [31]
Water & Oceans [22]
Public [17]
Asia [55]
Source: AP [56], 04/15/2026
- Read more about "Afghanistan’s Capital Is In The Grip Of A Water Crisis" [54]
"Global Wildlife Trade Fuels Spread of Disease From Animals to People" [57]

"The global wildlife trade is driving the spread of disease from animals to people, according to a new study of thousands of wild mammal species and 40 years of international trade records."

Biodiversity [21]
Consumer [34]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Laws & Regulations [14]
People & Population [15]
Science [16]
Wildlife [23]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
International [58]
Source: NYTimes [59], 04/15/2026
- Read more about "Global Wildlife Trade Fuels Spread of Disease From Animals to People" [57]
"Trump Administration Holds Up NOAA Grant Funding" [60]

"The Trump administration is holding up some National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant funding."

Biodiversity [21]
Climate Change [29]
Disasters [45]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Justice [50]
Environmental Politics [11]
Environmental Studies [61]
Fish & Fisheries [62]
Laws & Regulations [14]
People & Population [15]
Science [16]
Technology [47]
Transportation [63]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [23]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
International [58]
Source: The Hill [64], 04/15/2026
- Read more about "Trump Administration Holds Up NOAA Grant Funding" [60]
"Bessent Questions the Cause of Climate Change and Its Economic Toll" [65]

"The Treasury secretary said it is “difficult to deconstruct” the reasons for global warming, which he described as a belief of the “elite.”"

Climate Change [29]
Disasters [45]
Economy & Business [40]
Energy & Fuel [41]
Environmental Politics [11]
Journalism & Media [30]
Science [16]
Water & Oceans [22]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
Source: NYTimes [66], 04/15/2026
- Read more about "Bessent Questions the Cause of Climate Change and Its Economic Toll" [65]
Indonesia's Prabowo Urges Charges Against Firms Resisting Forest Crackdown [67]

"Indonesian President ‌Prabowo Subianto ordered prosecutors on Friday to file criminal charges against companies that refuse to cooperate with a task force he launched to crack down on illegal activities in the country's forests."

Agriculture [68]
Biodiversity [21]
Climate Change [29]
Forests [35]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Wildlife [23]
Public [17]
Australia & Oceania [69]
Source: Reuters [70], 04/15/2026
- Read more about Indonesia's Prabowo Urges Charges Against Firms Resisting Forest Crackdown [67]
Michigan Updates Air Quality Alert System As Wildfire Smoke Season Nears [71]

"After Canadian wildfires brought extremely poor air quality to Detroit in the summers of 2023 and 2025, Michigan is updating how it communicates air quality risks to residents this year."

Air [27]
Climate Change [29]
Consumer [34]
Environmental Health [10]
Forests [35]
Journalism & Media [30]
Laws & Regulations [14]
People & Population [15]
Pollution [31]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [42]
Source: Planet Detroit [72], 04/15/2026
- Read more about Michigan Updates Air Quality Alert System As Wildfire Smoke Season Nears [71]
Judge Tosses Trump’s Wall Street Journal Defamation Lawsuit, For Now [73]

"A federal judge on Monday dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its reporting on a lewd birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump’s name."

Journalism & Media [30]
Laws & Regulations [14]
People & Population [15]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [18]
Source: CNN [74], 04/14/2026
- Read more about Judge Tosses Trump’s Wall Street Journal Defamation Lawsuit, For Now [73]

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