"Federal firings expected to undermine oil and gas permitting"

"With egg prices spiking due to bird flu, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced steps last week to control the H5N1 virus, such as increasing financial relief for farmers with affected flocks and exploring vaccines and therapeutics for chickens. While these steps might help stabilize the egg supply in the short term, they’re insufficient for one simple reason: Chickens are not the only animals affected by this disease."

"The US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected EPA “end result” sewage permits issued under the Clean Water Act that focus on water quality instead of outlining specific requirements to prevent pollution.

In a fractured 5-4 ruling written by Justice Samuel Alito, the court blocked the EPA from issuing permits that make a permittee responsible for surface water quality, or “end result” permits—a term the court coined in the ruling. National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits govern pollution from sewer overflows during storms.

"In January, an endangered Florida panther known as UCFP479 became the first to die this year in a vehicle collision along a rural southwestern Florida road. The male panther, just under 2 years old, will not be the last."

"

"A conservation group founded by young conservatives has pulled out all the stops in the hopes of being a player with Republicans in Washington. Whether that push from the American Conservation Coalition bears fruit remains a big question."

"Scientists are gaining new insights into how plankton supports life on Earth — just as climate change is changing everything."

"The United Nations Environment Programme on Monday said a new round of negotiations toward a global plastics treaty will take place from August 5 to 14 in Geneva, Switzerland, after countries failed to agree on the parameters of a final agreement last December in Busan, South Korea."

"A former Trump official who alarmed scientists years ago when he attempted to meddle with a congressionally mandated climate report has returned to the White House in a role that’s expected to heavily influence the next version of the assessment."

"Forecasters with the National Weather Service were among those who lost their jobs, raising questions about the service’s ability to continue providing the free, accurate, up-to-the minute information on potential hazards like heat waves, blizzards, tornadoes and hurricanes that is critical to industries such as agriculture and aviation, as well as the weather reports the general public relies on."

"FBI agents this week questioned Environmental Protection Agency employees regarding a Biden administration grant program for climate and clean-energy projects, escalating a criminal probe that already caused one veteran prosecutor to resign, according to two people familiar with the matter."