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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

IL: Environmental Justice

With a grant award from the Illinois Power Association, the Green Energy Justice Cooperative plans to build community-level solar power projects to cut costs and give low-income and BIPOC neighborhoods a financial stake in the program. (Wikimedia Commons)
IL co-op to develop solar projects for low-income, BIPOC communities

By Lydia Larsen for Inside Climate News.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Netwo…

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A great egret forages for fish in a shallow pond in Marion County, Ill. (Adobe Stock)
IL wetlands at risk in backlash from spring SCOTUS ruling

States like Illinois are dealing with the fallout of a Supreme Court decision made earlier this year. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively …

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The group GreenLatinos is matching federal climate change grants with Latino environmental justice organizations, businesses, universities, unions, and elected officials. (Adobe Stock)
Environmental coalition to match Latino community groups with federal grants

The Biden Administration has earmarked millions of dollars from federal programs to help Latinos and other disadvantaged groups fight climate change…

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PFAS, also known as
U.S. House Budget Threats Jeopardize Proposed PFAS Regulations

Environmental groups say a proposal to cut $4 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency budget would gut the regulations designed to clean up t…

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In 2020, Illinois ranked seventh among states for its use of coal to produce energy. According to Earthjustice, the state has about 76 coal ash disposal sites. (Adobe Stock)
Agreement Outlines Coal Ash Cleanup for Middle Fork Vermilion River

People who spend summers fishing and canoeing on the Middle Fork Vermilion River should be pleased to know its water quality should be improving in th…

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A wetland and marsh area at Chain O' Lakes State Park. Illinois' Interagency Wetland Policy Act of 1989 set a goal of no net loss of wetlands due to projects funded by the state. (GoodFreePhotos.com)
SCOTUS Lands Gut Punch to EPA Wetland Protections

A U.S. Supreme Court decision is shaking up the environmental community in Illinois and across the country. The high court ruled 5-4 on Thursday …

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There have been more than 700 toxic chemical disasters in the United States since 2020, according to the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters. (Adobe Stock)
Groups: EPA, Others Need to Step Up Oversight of Chemical Plants

Environmental groups in Illinois are pushing state and federal officials to tighten regulations on businesses that use toxic substances after a fire a…

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says exposure to  <a href=sites polluted with coal ash can cause cancer, respiratory issues and other serious health problems. (Nady/Adobe Stock)">
EPA Filed Fewer Civil Cases Against Industrial Polluters in 2022

The EPA's enforcement of federal pollution rules has plummeted. In 2022, the agency referred 88 cases to the Justice Department for civil …

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Study authors found that 80-90% of Americans underestimate the support for major climate change mitigation policies. (Adobe Stock)
Study: Perception Versus Reality about Climate-Change Distress

The political divide over climate change seems well entrenched, but a recent study suggested the conventional wisdom is wrong. The study, published …

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The Environmental Protection Agency reports the transportation sector is the largest single contributor to America's annual greenhouse-gas emissions, comprising 27% of the total. (Adobe Stock)
Report: Diesel Engines Major Air Polluters in Illinois

Pollution from diesel engines can cause a variety of health issues, and a new report reveals some Illinois communities face higher risks from diesel …

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Illinoisans who fought for the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act are urging the federal government to follow the Prairie State's lead. (ink drop/Adobe Stock)
IL Leaders Urge Major Climate Investments During COP26

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- As talks continue in Scotland at the annual international climate summit, Illinoisans are among those urging the U.S. to follow …

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Dulce Ortiz of Clean Power Lake County was among those who spoke at the signing of landmark clean-energy legislation in Illinois. (Office of Gov. J.B. Pritzker)
Landmark Climate, Jobs Law Hailed in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- The historic clean-energy bill signed into Illinois law yesterday includes measures from closing coal and natural gas plants by 2…

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