People & Population

"When Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin made a defiant reference to “climate change religion” in order to justify a plan to roll back environmental protections, American faith leaders and scholars reacted with confusion, sadness and anger."  "Jewish and Christian faith leaders responded to Lee Zeldin’s comments with “righteous anger” and called for policies that support a more just, livable world."

"This season, two stubborn Texans try to salvage what’s left of their working-class community. That’s a problem, though, because they live in East Harris County, where the petrochemical industry calls the shots — and where pushing back can be dangerous."

"Set in Channelview, Texas, in the heart of the nation's petrochemical industry, Fumed follows Carolyn Stone and Greg Moss as they risk everything to fight for their community’s future."

"Every year, from December to April, the Harmattan sweeps across Africa. This cool, dry and dust-laden wind gets its name from haramata, a word in the Ghanaian language Fanti. ... The Harmattan's effects go beyond reduced visibility and dryness. It has an impact on human health, agriculture and ecosystems."

"At 90% of the state historical average, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is nothing like record-smashing 2023. But it ‘s the third year in the row with near-average or above-average snowpack."

"While repairs to storm-battered sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway are underway, it will "take years" to repair some of the damage, according to the National Park Service."

"Homeowners in Los Angeles have started the long process of rebuilding after the destructive wildfires in January. Some are constructing homes that are much less likely to burn when the next wildfire hits." "Still, thousands of other homeowners in the urban center of Altadena are about to rebuild without wildfire-resistant materials, because they live outside a state-designated wildfire zone."

"The planned 25 percent tariff on imported automobiles is a gut punch for most electric vehicle makers, whose supply chains are rooted in China." "At the same time as tariffs wound the overall EV market, they could provide a window of opportunity for automakers that already produce EVs and batteries domestically and could beat competitors on price. The most likely winner is Tesla, analysts said, though other automakers could also benefit."

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency has frozen nearly $10 billion in disaster aid for nonprofits including hospitals as it seeks to identify funding that could be used to help undocumented migrants, according to agency documents obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News."

"The Trump administration is canceling billions of dollars in grant funding to state and local health departments without warning, throwing their programs into disarray."

"At the National Museum of African American History and Culture, visitors pushed back against the claim that the museum perpetuated anti-American ideology."