"KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A tornado that ripped through Nebraska, injuring 15 people and flattening buildings, may have reached a wind velocity of up to 200 miles per hour (320 kph), the National Weather Service said on Saturday."

"A senior Democrat wants the Energy Department (DOE) to explain how it will address problems described in a new inspector general report that criticizes DOE’s oversight of a major nuclear waste treatment plant that’s under construction in Washington State."

"Newly formed Tropical Storm Karen, which could reach hurricane strength by Friday, is expected to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast sometime over the weekend."

"WASHINGTON — Elijah Zarlin was handcuffed outside the White House two years ago for joining in weeks of protests against the Keystone XL pipeline. His arrest would have been an ordinary rite of Washington, except for one thing: Mr. Zarlin had been an aide at the headquarters of Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could resume rulemaking for the disposal of toxic coal ash after a federal judge ruled against the agency in a lawsuit brought by environmental groups."

"Walk through a health food store and you'll find amaranth, sorghum, quinoa — heritage grains that have been staples around the world for generations. Americans are just discovering them. There's another age-old grain that grows right here on the Great Plains: millet."

"BP's manager in charge of controlling the Macondo blowout in 2010 was never trained to permanently plug a ruptured oil well and said in court on Wednesday the British company was not fully prepared for the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history."

"Fracking may be contaminating a Pennsylvania river with radioactive waste, a Duke University study to be published this week shows."

"The thousands of non-resident hunters who will head west this fall -- including to the Dakotas -- to hunt pheasants and waterfowl will find less habitat and fewer places to hunt."