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From anguish to aggression: Trump goes on offense after midair collision; NH air monitoring project grows with help from citizen scientists; Maryland worst state for wage theft, study finds; Scholarships help OH women in public service amid diversity program cuts.

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President Trump's latest executive actions on aviation safety, education and birthright citizenship spark debates. Critics say they threaten civil rights, while supporters say they support competency.

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As bird flu spreads, egg prices continue to soar, wildfires aren't stopping Americans from moving to wildfire-prone states, and post-pandemic infrastructure isn't just roads and bridges but also education, healthcare and economic opportunity.

Conservation groups slam Trump’s executive order on CA water policy

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Tuesday, January 28, 2025   

President Donald Trump's new executive order on California water policy is drawing criticism from many water conservation advocates.

The order directs the feds to study ways to override state environmental protections and send more water from northern California down south.

Bruce Reznik, executive director of the nonprofit L.A. Waterkeeper, said the devastating fires can be blamed on extreme winds, dry brush and local infrastructure issues, not on a lack of water. He said Trump is taking advantage of a disaster to benefit corporate farms.

"To the extent that they're going to deliver more water, a lot of that is going to big agriculture in the Central Valley," Reznik observed. "Folks that have supported Trump."

Groups such as Restore the Delta said Trump's policies could harm the San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystems and devastate the salmon fishery. They also oppose Gov. Gavin Newsom's Delta Conveyance Project, which the state said is intended to capture more water from large but infrequent storm events.

Reznik argued if the state and federal governments really want to make an impact, they would invest a lot more money into existing projects to clean up contaminated groundwater, improve conservation and recycle more wastewater.

"In L.A. County, we import about 700 million gallons of water a day, of the 1.2 billion gallons we use," Reznik noted. "Importing that water requires a lot of energy and expense. Right now, we treat it, flush it, treat it again, and then we dump about 450 million to 500 million gallons of that back into the ocean. The Metropolitan Water District, the county and the city have plans that we could be reclaiming 330 million gallons a day. That would reduce our regional demand for imported water and save the energy it takes to move it here from faraway places."


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Unhealthy concentrations of fine particle matter can threaten vulnerable groups like children, the elderly and people with heart or lung disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

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By Elijah de Castro for Keen Sentinel. Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for New Hampshire News Service, for the Solutions Journalism Network-…


Social Issues

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Elected officials in New York and nationwide joined an amicus brief filed by the Public Rights Project fighting President Donald Trump's executive ord…

Social Issues

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The Trump administration this week reversed a decision to freeze federal loans and grants -- but only after it led to mass confusion among organizatio…


Legislation to increase fines for companies that violate child labor law to as much as $10,000 passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

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New child labor laws went into effect in Virginia at the start of the year, but some advocates say more can be done. House Bill 100 took effect in …

Environment

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A North Dakota legislative committee on Thursday took up a trio of bills about landowners' rights as states in this region are eyed for carbon-capture…

Provider organizations in the state, including the Mississippi State Medical Association and Mississippi Hospital Association, have been supporters of Medicaid expansion. (Pixabay)

Health and Wellness

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As Mississippi lawmakers move forward with a potential Medicaid expansion, advocates said the state cannot afford further delays while thousands …

Health and Wellness

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Florida residents who depend on Medicaid said they fear for their futures as lawmakers consider $2.3 trillion in federal cuts, which could force …

Health and Wellness

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Service providers and advocacy groups in Ohio and across the country are facing uncertainty following recent executive orders that have thrown federal…

 

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