"Disaster survivors are having to wait longer to get aid from the federal government, according to a new Associated Press analysis of decades of data. On average, it took less than two weeks for a governor’s request for a presidential disaster declaration to be granted in the 1990s and early 2000s. ... It’s taking more than a month, on average, so far during Trump’s current term, the AP found."
"Bills boosting solar, batteries, EVs, and smart thermostats to rein in California’s utility costs moved ahead — but the most innovative approaches were cut."
"The administration is cranking up efforts to kill state laws and legal cases that would force fossil-fuel companies to pay for climate damage."
"Chris Wright, who travels to Europe next week to promote American gas, called climate change “not incredibly important.”"
"Despite MAHA promises to reduce chemical exposures, experts warn the Trump administration is approving a wave of ‘frightening’ pesticides."
"A Trump administration plan to remove thousands of agriculture employees from Washington, D.C., is raising concerns among economists, who fear that such a move could erode expertise in a workforce reluctant to relocate."
Many local government decisions come down to a key factor: walkability. And that’s not just a question of transportation infrastructure. As the latest Reporter’s Toolbox notes, walkability is also an environmental consideration. To turn that simple truth into stories about the built environment, here’s a high-quality, mappable walkability index. How to use the database smartly, plus questions to ask that will get your reporting started.
"Fat Bear Week, an online vote conducted via a single-elimination bracket, will take place from Sept. 23 to 30, the National Park Service announced Thursday."
"Leaving their farmhouse hideout at night, a band of wannabe saviors brimming with revolt made their way to a West Virginia hamlet one early October morning. But their plans soon went awry. Instead of seizing a federal weapons cache and inciting a massive resistance, the band wound up captured or killed by the U.S. government."
"Federal scientists and engineers working to prevent deadly disasters and the spread of disease in miners could soon lose their jobs, even as President Donald Trump moves to supercharge U.S. production of coal and critical minerals."
Advertisement 
