"President Donald Trump on Thursday designated Laura Swett chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, marking the agency’s third leadership change in nine months."
"In a month’s time, nearly 200 countries will gather at the gates of the Amazon rainforest for a new round of United Nations-sponsored climate talks. But there is still intense discussion about what the main outcome ought to be."
"Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength Monday as it neared Jamaica with up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain and a life-threatening storm surge."
A Biden-era plan to put billions into school buses, clean EV-style, could be in the rearview mirror under the Trump administration, reports the latest TipSheet. That’s despite the fume-free, greenhouse gas-scarce qualities that benefit the air and the climate, parents and kids. To get in the driver’s seat on this story, here are a half a dozen local story ideas, plus reporting resources.
Speeding media mergers — the latest examples being Paramount’s hookup with CBS and its recent pursuit of CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery — could have serious societal repercussions, argues WatchDog Opinion. Among them: the risks of growing government control and political censorship. But a glimmer of hope comes from another, quieter, revolution that might just be the saving grace for independent accountability journalism.
"Local non-profits and schools are helping students explore traditional practices paired with modern science to make food sovereignty a reality"
"This week, Iceland recorded the presence of the insects within its borders for the first time in the Nordic nation's history."
"A French oil company engaged in “misleading commercial practices” about the scope of its environmental commitments, a court has ruled."
"Agricultural workers are already among the most vulnerable to extreme heat, and pregnant workers are coming under greater risk as temperatures rise because of climate change. Many in the U.S. are low-income Latino immigrants who toil under the sizzling sun or in humid nurseries open year round. Heat exposure has been linked to many extra risks for pregnant people, and while protections exist, experts say they need better enforcement and more safeguards are needed."
"Supporters of the Virginia Energy Reliability Alliance were out in force at an air permit hearing last month for the utility’s controversial natural gas “peaker” plant in Chesterfield County. Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest utility, says it’s been “transparent” with regard to its support for the group."
