National (U.S.)

"Tsunami waves reached Hawaii and the West Coast after one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded history, a magnitude 8.8 temblor, struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on July 29 and triggered alerts across the Pacific, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast."

"There are few summer traditions more predictable than turning sharks into profit. Fifty years ago, on June 20, 1975, “Jaws” established the template for the modern-day blockbuster, combining mass marketing and high-concept thrills that all but guarantee mega box-office returns. But the film’s lasting power lies in how it transformed a relatively obscure marine predator into a cultural icon and villain that could be used for financial gain."

"Interior Department officials are committed to "rebuilding" the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park that's been partially overrun by a lightning-ignited fire that claimed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, dozens of guest cabins, and concessionaire facilities."

"A Maine congressman and several commercial fishing groups are getting behind a push to delay rules designed to protect a vanishing species of whale for 10 years. The North Atlantic right whale numbers only about 370 and has declined over the last 15 years."

"In a government survey, state and local officials said they were overworked, underpaid and underappreciated."

"Republicans are quietly moving to kill proposed regulations for PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge that is spread on farmland as fertilizer, a practice that has sickened farmers across the country, destroyed their livelihoods and contaminated food and water supplies."

"As heat grips Illinois this summer, one group is more vulnerable to extreme heat than any other: Those incarcerated inside the state’s decaying prisons and jails."

"In Settegast, where the average person dies before retirement age, Black women battle environmental racism and a record increase in cost of living."

"Senate appropriators on Thursday approved a $41.5 billion spending bill to fund the Interior Department and EPA, setting up a showdown with the House and President Donald Trump. The bill represents a bipartisan compromise on the agency budgets, a necessity given the need to attract 60 votes on appropriations measures in the Senate."