"The complex web of air monitoring networks in the nation’s national parks is bogged down under the government shutdown, widening weak spots in an already underfunded and overstretched network."

"The White House on Tuesday fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency that was expected to review some of President Donald Trump’s construction projects, including his planned triumphal arch in Washington."

"Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba near the city of Chivirico early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm after pummeling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said."

"Republican attorneys general, GOP lawmakers, industry groups and the president himself are all maneuvering to foreclose the ability of cities and states to hold the fossil fuel industry liable for damages linked to climate change."

"The oil giant said requirements that companies calculate new details about greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks violate Exxon’s free speech rights."

"POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE, California — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a wellness influencer and a pioneering dairy farmer joined forces earlier this year to upend a landmark deal that stopped most cattle operations at this park north of San Francisco."

"The administration’s pursuit of its perceived enemies has compelled environmental groups to take new precautions." "Bring burner phones on overseas trips. Use encrypted apps for communication. Don’t cross international borders with laptops. Beef up office security. Hire more lawyers."

"Lawmakers are girding for a fight against President Donald Trump’s apparent plans to open up the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines to offshore drilling." "Most coastal Republicans and Democrats said they wouldn’t back drilling off their states’ shores."

"The Environmental Protection Agency is promising to erase a scientific finding that underpins climate regulations nationwide. But some business leaders said they are wary that the move could lead to a costly legal quagmire." "Some carmakers and energy executives say the plan would trigger costly litigation and spur individual states to create a patchwork of tighter rules."

"Tarantula mating season runs from about July to November, skewing toward October in California. Female tarantulas sometimes eat their suitors."