"The Trump administration is quietly taking steps to circumvent federal laws in its quest to bolster U.S. mineral production." "The Pentagon used a little-known legal provision to shield a multibillion-dollar rare earths deal from procurement and contracting laws."

"A Texas-based federal judge assented to a Trump administration request Tuesday and ended Endangered Species Act protections for the lesser prairie chicken."

"Healthy fungal networks help trees and plants grow, making them key to successful reforestation. The only problem? Almost nothing is known about this subterranean ecology"

"The Trump administration is also looking to revive mining in the popular wilderness area" 

"California has approved an unprecedented plan to protect the iconic Joshua tree from climate change and development."

"One of the largest deer-smuggling networks in the state’s history aimed to skirt chronic wasting disease-containment rules, officials say." 

"The recently passed spending bill sets logging targets that federal officials don’t have the capacity to meet"  "The new law sets aggressive timber harvesting goals and slashes spending for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Environmental advocates and industry insiders say those goals are contradictory and unworkable."

"As the Trump administration aims to bolster fossil fuels at the expense of clean energy expansion, new research shows the oil and gas sector has so far failed to become a major jobs creator for heavily fracked areas of northern Appalachia."

"UN talks on creating a global pact to stem plastic pollution collapsed in Geneva with no agreement or clear way forward after chaotic nights of negotiations failed to break a deadlock over whether to include measures aimed at curbing runaway plastic production."

"The first black bear hunt in Florida in a decade will take place in December under a rule adopted Wednesday by state wildlife officials despite strong opposition to the eventual use of dogs and targeting the animals in baited locations."