Water & Oceans

Poor Areas Threatened By Aging Sewers See Crucial Aid Slashed Under Trump

"Yvette Lyles thought of the modest brick ranch home as a Christmas present for her family. It was close to a state park where she and her kids could picnic, fish and enjoy the outdoors. A place to make memories. But she soon learned her southern Illinois community had a big problem: Recurring floods from heavy rains sent untreated sewage into streets, yards and homes where they buckled floors, cracked walls and destroyed belongings."

Source: AP, 01/12/2026

"FEMA Staff Bracing for Dismissal of 1,000 Disaster Workers"

"Federal Emergency Management Agency supervisors are advising their staff to prepare for the elimination of 1,000 jobs this month as part of changes that Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, is overseeing at the agency, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions."

Source: NYTimes, 01/09/2026

"The Icebreaker Reaches the Thwaites Glacier, and the Science Begins"

"After a 12-day crossing, and a hard slog through sea ice, the field work on this Antarctic expedition is ready to start."

"After a 12-day journey across the southern seas, the nearly 40 scientists aboard the icebreaker Araon on Wednesday reached Antarctica’s fastest-melting glacier, the Thwaites. An ambitious campaign to study the ice by air, under sea and with boots on the frozen surface is now underway.

Source: NYTimes, 01/08/2026

Rare Whale Is Having Good Season For Births, But Might Still Go Extinct

"One of the world’s rarest whale species is having more babies this year than in some recent seasons, but experts say many more young are needed to help stave off the possibility of extinction. The North Atlantic right whale’s population numbers an estimated 384 animals and is slowly rising after several years of decline."

Source: AP, 01/07/2026

Loosely Regulated Petrochemical Barge Industry Commandeers a Texas River

"Over the past 30 years, federal and state agencies in Texas have allowed hundreds of oil and chemical barges to amass in a once-tranquil section of the San Jacinto River, just east of Houston." "People who live on the San Jacinto fear chemical releases and explosions from the vessels. It’s unclear who’s policing the buildup."

Source: Public Health Watch, 01/07/2026

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