"Wheat prices rose Wednesday as the hot, dry summer continued to take its toll on crops in the U.S. and Russia."

"Scientists say that the latest observations suggest that Arctic sea ice cover is continuing to shrink and thin."

"The 2010 BP oil spill accelerated the loss of Louisiana’s delicate marshlands, which were already rapidly disappearing before the largest oil spill in U.S. history, a new study reports."

"Congressional Republicans and Democrats reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday on a two-year bill to finance highways, ending a partisan stalemate that had left transit projects under a cloud of uncertainty."

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"COLORADO SPRINGS -- Firefighters struggled on Wednesday to beat back a fiercely aggressive wildfire raging at the edge of Colorado Springs that has forced at least 35,000 people from their homes and was nipping at the edges of the U.S. Air Force Academy."

"Two massive Shell Oil Co. drilling rigs left a Seattle dock early Wednesday, starting the long trek to Alaska's Arctic waters and leaving behind years of legal battles and regulatory hurdles in a quest for riches under the sea."