"A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Thursday that the Trump administration could not unilaterally cancel a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program that states used for disaster preparation, imposing a potential hurdle in the administration’s efforts to tighten FEMA’s purse strings."
"Surging floodwaters turned farmland into vast pools, washed out bridges and prompted rescues of people stranded in cars and homes across Washington state on Thursday, as tens of thousands of people were under evacuation orders and authorities hoped levees would hold and prevent far worse damage."
"An environmental group on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging the National Park Service’s plan to emblazon President Trump’s face on some annual passes to national parks starting Jan. 1."
"Fewer inspections, weaker enforcement and less oversight: Deep cuts to state budgets and at the Environmental Protection Agency are preventing regulators from fully protecting the public from pollution, according to a report released today by the Environmental Integrity Project."
"The nonprofit said in a new report that pipeline company Energy Transfer reported hundreds of oil spills to federal regulators in recent years, among other incidents."
"The Trump administration is set to unveil its plan this week to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a proposal that is sure to be contentious but is not expected to go as far as earlier calls to eliminate the agency completely."
"Scientists have issued an urgent warning that some of the synthetic chemicals that help underpin the current food system are driving increased rates of cancer, neurodevelopmental conditions and infertility, while degrading the foundations of global agriculture."
"Lawmakers’ bid to slow the closure of the department’s largest research facility rests on iffy legal ground but waves a yellow flag at the Trump administration."
"EPA has set out new guidelines for its staff interacting with polluters, championing quick compliance for violators of the law before turning to tough enforcement."
"The deadly storms that devastated Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in late November were "supercharged" by higher sea temperatures and made worse by rapid deforestation, scientists said in a study published on Thursday."
