National (U.S.)

"A rare but deadly disease spread by mosquitoes has one town in Massachusetts closing its parks and fields each evening. Four other towns are urging people to avoid going outdoors at night."

"Extreme heat killed more Americans in 2023 than any other year over nearly a quarter century of records, according to research published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association."

"Researchers in California are working to genetically engineer the cow microbiome -- and in the process, eliminate methane emissions."

"After World War II, Black people in Houston found the rare chance to buy a nice home in the new community of Pleasantville, Texas. But in the years that followed, officials routed the Interstate 610 loop with its tailpipe exhaust along one side of Pleasantville and cement plants and other heavy industry grew nearby."

"The U.S. is pretty much only building clean energy these days, and mostly solar and batteries. That’s good news — but the pace still needs to pick up."

"As heat waves become more frequent and intense, researchers and activists say the lack of precise data is leading to needless fatalities."

"Conflicting federal policies may force thousands of residents in flood-prone areas to pay more for flood insurance or be left unaware of danger posed by dams built upstream from their homes and worksites, according to an Associated Press review of federal records and data."

"Dual hurricane threats are zeroing in on Hawaii, a rare combination that could bring impactful rain and winds to the islands twice within a week."

"The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana ruled on Wednesday that the Environmental Protection Agency is barred from using the federal civil rights law to prevent Louisiana from granting permits for numerous polluting facilities in minority and low-income communities."

"De-icing road salts — even those marketed as environmentally friendly — may harm important freshwater plankton, a new analysis indicates. The study, published in Science of the Total Environment, suggests that some species of zooplankton — a critical food source for freshwater fish — don’t adapt to pollution from road salts from generation to generation."