"Norfolk Southern’s corporate PAC has donated more than $375,000 to members of the Senate committee that grilled the railroad’s chief executive on Thursday about the toxic derailment of one of the company’s trains in East Palestine, Ohio."

"The chief executive of a railroad company that operated a train that derailed and caused a release of toxic chemicals in February told the Senate on Thursday that he is “deeply sorry” for the impact on East Palestine, Ohio, and he is personally committed to “make this right.”"

"The White House’s fiscal 2024 budget asks for $12 billion for the EPA, a 19% increase over its current enacted level and a record high amount that’s almost certain to be trimmed during congressional negotiations."

"Federal regulators designated two U.S. freshwater mussels as threatened on Wednesday, a further sign of trouble for native mollusks that help cleanse waters by filtering out pollutants as they feed."

"Navigator CO2 Ventures’ proposed carbon pipeline project in the U.S. Midwest is struggling to secure a site to store millions of tons of greenhouse gas it hopes to collect from the region’s ethanol plants, as residents refuse to give up land rights over fears the underground reservoirs could leak, according to documents reviewed by Reuters."

"Coal-fired power plants are facing another crackdown as the Biden administration moves forward with plans to limit toxic discharges into lakes and rivers in a major strike at one of the largest sources of industrial water pollution."

"With the government at risk of defaulting, President Joe Biden on Thursday will make his opening offer in a high-stakes debate over federal finances as he proposes a federal budget that would cut deficits by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade."

"The chief executive of one of the nation’s largest railroads is coming to a Senate hearing with an apology and a commitment to send millions of dollars to the village on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border disrupted by a fiery derailment as senators investigate railway safety and the Biden administration’s response to the disaster."

"Farmers like Marcella Warner Holman and the companies that deal in beef are experiencing a mix of defensiveness, anger and guarded optimism as they chart a course for survival in a world that’s often telling people to eat less meat or none at all. So far, they say, the messaging war hasn’t shaken Americans’ appetite for steak and burgers — but it’s frustrating nonetheless."