Consumer

"Moderna Launches mRNA Bird Flu Vaccine Trial After HHS Cancels Funding"

"The Department of Health and Human Services had canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in funding previously committed to help develop mRNA vaccines."

"Moderna is launching a large-scale clinical trial of a shot to combat bird flu in humans after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s department had canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in funding previously committed to aid in vaccine development.

Source: Washington Post, 04/22/2026

Facing Drought, Low Snowpack, Rio Grande States Expect a ‘Challenging’ Year

'“Severe.“ “Critical.” “Dire.” “Challenging.” “Record-low.” Officials at the Rio Grande Compact Commission annual meeting Friday worked through the thesaurus to describe the conditions on the river that flows out of southwestern Colorado.'

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/22/2026

#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours

SEJournal is providing full coverage of all eight of the day-long tours from the annual Society of Environmental Journalists’ conference, April 15-18, in Chicago. In Part 2, contributors Meg Duff, Nathaniel Eisen, Nhung Nguyen and Marlowe Starling provide detailed reports from tours focused on the transitioning steel industry, microgrids, climate-friendly crop practices and evolving Midwestern agricultural systems.

Also check out the first round of tour coverage and read all the great work from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

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"Record US Drought Sparks Worries About Fires, Water Supply And Food Prices"

"Drought in the contiguous United States has reached record levels for this time of year, weather data shows. Meteorologists said it’s a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, food prices and western water issues."

Source: AP, 04/21/2026

Maine Tightens Limits On PFAS In Drinking Water. Are Communities Ready?

"Nearly four dozen water systems that provide drinking water across Maine would be at risk of violating new limits on “forever chemicals” if the state began enforcing updated rules on the toxic substances today, showing how much work they have left to do to meet new requirements."

Source: Maine Monitor, 04/21/2026

"‘The Absolute Edge Of Precedent’: FERC Prepares To Take On Data Centers"

"The commission is pushing to get data centers onto the grid, and fast. The high-stakes move could tip the balance of regulatory power against the states."

Source: E&E News, 04/21/2026

Trump Interior Dept. Unveils Emergency Plans For Colorado River

"The Trump administration will pull its emergency levers to head off a major water and power crisis." "Interior said it will cut releases out of one of the river’s two main reservoirs, Lake Powell, to the minimum amount legally allowed — 6 million acre-feet — between now and October."

Source: E&E News, 04/21/2026

"Environmental Groups Sue to Block BP’s Plan to Drill in Deep Gulf Waters"

"Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday to stop the British oil giant BP, which operated the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform that exploded in 2010, from starting a new $5 billion drilling project in ultra-deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico."

Source: NYTimes, 04/21/2026

DOJ Files Complaint Against DC And Its Sewage Authority For Massive Spill

"The Justice Department filed a complaint Monday in federal court against the city of Washington, D.C., and its water and sewer authority, seeking financial penalties for their role in a leak that led to millions of gallons of raw sewage spilling into the Potomac River."

Source: AP, 04/21/2026

Owner of Polluting Plastic Waste Plant Seeks To Build Another

"Belching smoke from a new plastic waste processing plant in central Ohio has stirred opposition to an even larger “chemical recycling” factory planned for Arizona by the same company."

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/21/2026

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