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Thursday, January 16, 2025

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Joe Biden warns 'oligarchy is taking shape in America' in farewell address; NJ gov continues advancing progress on climate goals; Report: If Congress guts Medicaid, rural America would notice; TX nonprofit calls trees good for your health, cooling your neighborhood.

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Confirmation hearings continue for Trump's nominees, Biden says American hostages will be released as part of an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire deal, and North Carolina Republicans try new arguments to overturn a state Supreme Court election.

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"We can't eat gold," warn opponents of a proposed Alaskan gold mine who say salmon will be decimated. Ahead of what could be mass deportations, immigrants get training about their rights. And a national coalition grants money to keep local news afloat.

According to the Texas Tree Foundation, the lack of trees and green spaces contributes significantly to the "urban heat island effect," as buildings, roads and other hard surfaces absorb and retain more heat. (Doublele/Adobe Stock)
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
By María Ramos Pacheco for The Dallas Morning News.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism …

The U.S. Energy Information Administration finds most of New Jersey's electricity is generated by natural gas and nuclear energy. Solar energy accounts for 8% of total electricity generation. (Adobe Stock)
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is maintaining the state's clean-energy progress. In his final State of the State Address, Murphy thanked lawmakers for …

According to ClimateCheck, heat risks are highest in Montgomery and lowest in Florence, while precipitation risks peak in Decatur and are lowest in Dothan. Birmingham faces the highest drought risk; Montgomery the lowest. (Adobe Stock)
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
By Ethan Brown for The Sweaty Penguin.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for Alabama News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pub…

Last year, electric vehicles accounted for nearly 9% of all new vehicles sold in the Commonwealth of Virginia. (Adobe Stock)
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
Virginians are buying more electric vehicles and need more charging stations but they are not being built across the state equally. House Bill 1791 …

Federal incentives are being offered for carbon capture projects, including a multistate pipeline proposal for the Midwest involving ethanol emissions. However, skeptics said the project's designs are too big for unproven technology. (Adobe Stock)
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Tuesday, January 14, 2025
South Dakota lawmakers begin a new legislative session today and are already hearing from worried landowners about their rights as a private company k…

The Solar Energy Industries Association reported Illinois ranks 15th in national solar capacity. (Adobe Stock)
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By Kari Lydersen for Energy News Network.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pu…

Enbridge's Line 5 runs from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, passing through northern Michigan. (Michael Carni/Adobe Stock)
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
This week, four tribal nations and environmental groups urged the Michigan Court of Appeals to overturn the state's approval of Enbridge's Line 5 …

Canada lynx in the contiguous United States were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2020, so their habitat must be considered by agencies pursuing logging projects. (Stan/Adobe Stock)
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
The U.S. Forest Service is facing a lawsuit from Montana conservation groups for authorizing a major logging project in a critical wildlife habitat…

The Inflation Reduction Act's "direct pay" provisions allow tax-exempt and government entities to receive full-value payments for clean energy tax credits, enabling projects such as Atlanta's resiliency hub. (Adobe Stock)
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Tuesday, January 14, 2025
By Yessenia Funes for Next City and Yale Climate Connections. Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for Georgia News Connection reporting for the …

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The state's Climate and Equitable Jobs Act aims to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, and 100% transition from fossil fuels by 2050. (Adobe Stock)
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
Illinois plans to spend $1.5 billion through 2027 in significant grid investments to help meet the state's ambitious clean-energy goals, with nearly …

State lawmakers passed North Carolina's Carbon Plan to reduce emissions in 2021. (Mathew/Adobe Stock)
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
President-elect Donald Trump retakes office in less than a week and promises to roll back efforts to combat climate change. But state-level efforts …

More than 420,000 Marylanders are members of the state's retirement and pension system. (Adobe Stock)
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Monday, January 13, 2025
For workers or pension systems trying to keep support for the fossil-fuel industry to a minimum, one expert has some suggestions. Just last month…

Climate change threatens many New Mexico crops, including chiles, onions, garlic and pecans. (TatianaEvdokimova/Adobe Stock)
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
Experts agree climate-smart agriculture will be critical in the fight against climate change. But with a divided Congress and no update to the Farm …

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is the nation's second-longest serving U.S. Agriculture Secretary. The first was James "Tama Jim" Wilson, who also happened to be from Iowa. Wilson was the agriculture secretary from 1897 to 1913. (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration The…

Feral hogs breed year-round and can have up to 12 piglets per litter, making population control difficult. (byrdyak/Adobe Stock)
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
The last Farm Bill allocated $75 million to reduce feral hog populations around the country but this year, funding has expired, which could be a …

According to a survey by the Veganuary organization, 81% of participants who took the survey maintained a dramatic reduction in their animal product consumption after six months. (Iuliia Metkalova/Adobe Stock)
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Coll…

An undercover investigator looking into abuse at animal auctions says mistreatment becomes normalized, as workers are pressured by management to move animals in and out, quickly. (Photo courtesy of Ron Chiang/We Animals)
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By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Nebraska News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabor…

Supporters of Measure J said opposition mailers such as this one were used to spread false claims ahead of the election. (Direct Action Everywhere)
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Animal rights organizers are regrouping after mixed results at the ballot box in November. A measure targeting factory farms passed in Berkeley but …

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The Bureau of Land Management manages about 22.8 million acres in Utah. (Nathaniel Gonzales/Adobe Stock)
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court has opted not to hear a lawsuit brought by the State of Utah, which alleged the federal government's ownership of large parts …

The new Chuckwalla National Monument is part of the Biden Administration's commitment to preserve 30% of the nation's land and waters by the year 2030. (Bureau of Land Management)
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The White House announced two new national monuments in California on Tuesday, one just east of Palm Springs and the other near Shasta Lake. A …

Grand Teton's Kelly parcel, now owned by the National Park Service, starts the Path of the Pronghorn, the longest land migration route in the lower 48. (Adobe Stock)<br />
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The 640-acre Kelly parcel has been in limbo for decades. It sits within the bounds of Grand Teton National Park but has long been owned by the state …

In recent years, the meat industry took out full-page ads in newspapers, and placed a $5 million Super Bowl commercial, claiming that meat is "more natural than ultra-processed meat alternatives." (The Center for Consumer Freedom)
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service C…

Along South Dakota's Rosebud Reservation, Sicangu Co. members Mayce Low Dog and Karen Moore harvest local plants. (Photo courtesy of Grace Hussain)
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By Grace Hussain for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

Many federal conservation programs received a boost in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, one of the largest investments in climate Congress has made in the nation's history. (Adobe Stock)
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A diverse group of Southwest Wisconsin farmers are using federally funded conservation programs to help improve their farms' soil health and resilienc…

As apex carnivores, wolves sit at the top of the food chain, affecting everything in surrounding ecosystems, from elk to soil. (Adobe Stock)
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Monday, January 13, 2025
It's been 30 years since wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park, a move that remains controversial today - as Colorado's livestock …

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a new lower 48 Distinct Population Segment boundary for grizzly bears that receive protections under the Endangered Species Act, connecting and broadening the current isolated recovery zones. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
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After a months-long delay, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that grizzly bears will retain protections under the Endangered …

A crew helped Jim Hoffman build beaver dam analogs on his cranberry farm in central Wisconsin. (Jim Hoffman)
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By Bennet Goldstein for Wisconsin Watch.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for Wisconsin Watch-Public New…

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Massachusetts is benefiting from an additional $102 million in federal transportation funds, including roughly $400,000 for the city of Revere to create multiuse paths, connecting residents to local educational and workforce development opportunities. (Adobe Stock)
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Monday, January 13, 2025
Massachusetts will benefit from more than $100 million in new federal funding for various transportation projects. Neighborhoods divided by busy …

According to the Department of Energy, all-electric vehicles are shown to be about 4.4 times more efficient than gas-powered cars. (Adobe Stock)
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A leading consumer publication says electric vehicles are gaining ground on gas-powered cars when it comes to feelings about reliability. However…

Researchers say when a larger group of people are walking together, the risk of being hit by a car is generally lower. (Viam/Adobe Stock - AI enhanced)
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The number of pedestrians and bicyclists killed on roadways in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the past 12 years and a New Mexico researcher wants to …

More than 30 million people live in the Ohio River Basin, according to the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission. (Adobe Stock)
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The Environmental Protection Agency would be in charge of protecting and restoring the Ohio River Basin under recently proposed legislation by Reps…

Toxic PFAS chemicals have been detected in the blood of 99% of Americans, including infants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)
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More than 143 million Americans are at risk of toxic PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, in their drinking water, according to new test results …

The Kootenai River runs 485 miles is one of the major tributaries of the Columbia River. (JOAN/Adobe Stock)
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Governing bodies in the U.S. and Canada are taking steps to address mining pollution affecting the headwaters of the Columbia River. Coal mining …

Plastic bottles blanket a landfill. (Aryfahmed/Adobe Stock)
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By Shi En Kim for Sierra.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Se…

Over 49,000 New Yorkers signed a petition demanding the city restore funding for the composting program after Mayor Eric Adams cut its funding in 2023. (Adobe Stock)
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By Doug Bierend for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for New York News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates more than one-third of food produced in the U.S. is never eaten, wasting the resources used to produce, process and distribute it. (Adobe Stock)<br />
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A new study found Maine households are a leading contributor of food waste in local landfills, which in turn contributes to climate change. …

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Opah are often caught as incidental catch alongside tuna. (NOAA/Flickr)
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By Leilani Marie Labong for FoodPrint.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the FoodPrint-Public News Service …

A new study examined the true sustainability of fish farming. (Lilly Agustina/Act For Farmed Animals/We Animals)
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By Sophie Kevany for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

A 2020 estimate found the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico caused up to $2.4 billion in damages to fisheries and marine habitats each year since 1980. (Adobe Stock)
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Scientists are sounding the alarm about growing dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Dead zones are areas of water with hypoxia, or …

Juana Valle's well is one of 20 sites tested in California's San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast regions in the first round of preliminary sampling by University of California-Berkeley researchers and the Community Water Center. The results showed 96 parts per trillion of total PFAS in her water, including 32 parts per trillion of PFOS - both considered potentially hazardous amounts. (Hannah Norman/KFF Health News)
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By Hannah Norman for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Ser…

Human health risks of exposure to PFAS include growth effects on infants and children, obstacles to a person's ability to become pregnant, effects on the immune system and increased risk of certain cancers, according to the South Dakota Department of Agricultural and Natural Resources. (Adobe Stock)
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A new report warned about adverse health, wildlife and environmental impacts of toxic chemicals known as PFAS in states such as South Dakota…

In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the first-ever national drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to PFAS. (Adobe Stock)
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A new report sounded the alarm in states like Utah for the adverse health, wildlife and environmental impacts of toxic chemicals known as "PFAS." …

Hanford is a decommissioned nuclear reactor site in Washington state, on the Columbia River. (jdoms/Adobe Stock)
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Interest in nuclear energy as a solution to "dirty" sources of power is growing, including a proposal in the Northwest. However, some critics say it …

New nuclear-energy technology has been proposed but not yet built in the United States. (Ezume Images/Adobe Stock)
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Interest in nuclear energy as a solution to "dirty" sources of power is growing, including a proposal in the Northwest. However, some critics said it …

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act provides lump-sum compensation for illnesses contracted by people working in the uranium industry or exposed to above-ground nuclear tests. (Courtesy Nuclear Threat Initiative)
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A 2,000-mile bus trip has not deterred representatives from Southwest tribes from traveling to Washington, D.C., this week to support expansion of …

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The Klamath River was once home to the third largest salmon run on the West Coast. (Piotr Wawrzyniuk/Adobe Stock)
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Wild Chinook salmon have returned to the Upper Klamath River less than two months after the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history to remove …

Salmon species in the Northwest have been struggling because of increasing temperatures. (Cavan/Adobe Stock)
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Struggling salmon and other fish species could benefit from an updated Northwest Forest Plan. The U.S. Forest Service is set to release a draft …

Critics of PacifiCorp say the company broke a 2004 promise to retrofit its hydroelectric dams to include fish passages. (Kevin/Adobe Stock)
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Coming into the new year, Columbia Riverkeeper is supporting efforts by the Cowlitz Tribe and Yakama Nation to restore salmon migration throughout …

 

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