National (U.S.)

"Humans have been afraid of sharks since long before “Jaws” and “The Meg” patrolled summer movie screens. Whether it’s the teeth or the lifeless eyes, something about them can just make your blood run cold.

Marine biologists are quick to say this fear is way out of proportion. Lightning strikes and bear attacks are more common than shark bites, they say. Of the more than 500 species of shark, only a handful have ever attacked humans, and most bites in the United States can be traced to just four species.

"When Jackie’s 9-year-old son came down with a low-grade fever in October, she chalked it up to a typical back-to-school bug. But his illness worsened over the next couple of days. “His skin tone looked gray,” she said, and near-constant diarrhea left him unable to sleep and too weak to stand."

"Over the weekend, the Park Fire grew to more than 360,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders and warnings around Chico, Calif. in Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties. In the days ahead, Cal Fire will seek to contain the blaze to reduce harm to people, structures and the environment. However, months from now when the rains come and the fires are extinguished, a hidden threat could put communities at risk once again."

"How climate-change-driven drying of the air is leading to tree deaths the world over".

"This spring, Democrats wrapped up a nearly three-year investigation into the fossil fuel industry’s role in climate disinformation, and asked the Department of Justice to pick up where they left off. In House and Senate Democrats’ final report and hearing, investigators concluded that major oil companies had not only misled the public on climate change for decades, but also were continuing to misinform them about the industry’s preferred climate “solutions”— particularly biofuels and carbon capture."

"In the Senate, Kamala Harris backed an expansive climate plan. Young activists want her to embrace it again, but so do Republicans."

"Several brands of condoms and lubricants contain alarming levels of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”, including styles of Trojan and K-Y Jelly, new research finds."

"After NextEra proposed a wind farm in Greeley County, Nebraska two years ago, Robert Bernt, a dairy farm owner in the area, helped to mobilize community members against the idea."

"The United Houma Nation, the largest Indigenous tribe in Louisiana, has secured a $56.5 million grant to enact a massive plan to deal with growing climate risks that tribal leaders hope will serve as a model, ranging from infrastructure improvements to potential relocations."

"The U.S. Forest Service said ‘no’ when CapturePoint asked to put carbon capture projects under national forests. The agency is now reconsidering."