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Tuesday, February 18, 2025

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White House says Elon Musk isn't in charge at DOGE, but 'advising' the president; CA schools brace for harmful cuts to Medi-Cal; Report says AR students still struggle with COVID-19 learning loss; and UT enacts controversial labor union law.

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The SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship to vote, is moving in the U.S. House. Environmental groups want the U.S. Senate to kill a bill they say falsely claims to slow climate change, and the agriculture industry is concerned about mass migrant deportations.

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Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Environment

The Trump administration has halted all pending environmental litigation in the U.S. Department of Justice. (Pixabay)

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Closure of EPA branch predicted to affect MS environment

The Trump administration has begun to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency's office dealing with reducing environmental harms to minority and…

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Life expectancy for New Mexicans is 73 years, compared to almost 80 years for top-rated Hawaii. (niyazz/Adobe Stock)

Monday, February 17, 2025

NM lawmakers weigh bills to protect air, land, water for future generations

Recognizing climate change is not isolated to certain parts of New Mexico, legislators are considering bills to help protect the state's air…

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An approved winter manure-spreading practice requires Pennsylvania farmers to maintain a 100-foot setback from water sources, including streams, lakes, ponds, sinkholes, wells and above-ground drainage inlets. (Andov/Adobe Stock)

Monday, February 17, 2025

PA farmers urged to minimize manure input on fields during winter

Winter in Pennsylvania brings farmers not only snow and freezing temperatures but stricter manure-spreading regulations to minimize water pollution…

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Daniel Houle and Denise Myers stand in front of their new solar setup at the Lodge of Whispering Pines along the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness. The system has 72 panels and can generate a total of 38 kilowatts per hour. (Photo courtesy of Ava Kian with MinnPost)

Monday, February 17, 2025

Solar power gives MN resort new blood, new life

By Ava Kian for MinnPost.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the MinnPost-Public News Service Collaboration Th…

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Through a legislative proposal, South Dakota agriculture officials are trying to generate an extra $350,000 in permitting fees, so they can maintain oversight of concentrated animal feeding operations. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, February 17, 2025

South Dakota poised to boost fees that help regulate CAFOs

Rural communities in the U.S. remain at the center of debate about the growing presence of large livestock operations. South Dakota lawmakers are …

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A home burns in a Los Angeles neighborhood during recent wind-driven wildfires spreading throughout several Southern California communities. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, February 17, 2025

CA towns, cities must adapt as dangers of bigger wildfires loom

By Amy McDermott for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for for California News Service reporting…

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A 2017 Technology Risk Assessment by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives found the potential returns on waste gasification are smaller and more uncertain, than the risks of gasification and pyrolysis. Vicky Abou-Ghalioum of the Buckeye Environmental Network identified explosion risks of pyrolysis. (Yellow Boat/Adobe Stock)

Monday, February 17, 2025

Pushback grows as Ohio EPA approves controversial plastic incineration plant

Ohio residents gathered in Youngstown late last week to protest the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's decision to grant an operational permit to …

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About 12,000 acres of former mining sites in Kentucky could be reclaimed to reduce environmental and safety hazards, according to a 2024 report by the Appalachian Citizen's Law Center. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, February 17, 2025

Abandoned Mine Land program frozen as Appalachia faces severe flooding

The Trump administration has frozen funds used for abandoned mine land cleanup. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congress invested around $…

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A new study looking at drought impacts on grasslands found that such lands in China saw a 43% reduction in annual productivity, compared with just a 25% reduction in North America under the same conditions. (Adobe Stock)
SD grasslands might be more vulnerable to drought than other regions

Grasslands are considered a vital component of South Dakota's landscape. But on the heels of new research, an expert suggests they might not fare as …

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The most identified bird in the United States in 2024 was the Northern Cardinal. (Adobe Stock)
Birders ready for count across Maryland

This weekend, birders across the world, including in Maryland, will participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …

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The largest flock identified in the Great Backyard Bird Count was a group of four million bramblings in Germany. (Adobe Stock)
Bird count begins today, across VA and worldwide

This weekend, Virginians will participate with other birders around the world in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …

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New Mexico's Aztec Ruins National Monument, established in 1923, consists of preserved structures constructed by the Pueblo Indians. (nps.gov)
NM's national monuments face new development threats from Trump

Areas surrounding New Mexico's Aztec Ruins National Monument, and other monuments, are at risk of losing federal protections from the "Unleashing …

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