Consumer

"People in Costa Rica and other Latin American, Asian and African countries are increasingly buying electric vehicles to avoid spiking fuel prices."

"To go from cows on the hoof to burgers on the bun, you need a slaughterhouse. A new one has been proposed for the edge of Lake Okeechobee, and it’s creating a lot of waves."

"For decades, a small EPA program assessed toxic chemicals. In an internal memo obtained by ProPublica, a top Trump appointee sharply criticized the program’s work and directed agency offices to review regulations that relied on its assessments."

"Concerns over water access are poised to consume summer in the US, as crises in Corpus Christi and across the Colorado River threaten to boil over."

"Trump froze funding for the Biden-era initiative, but, after court battles, some states continue to use the money."

"The Trump administration is throwing its weight behind gas providers and utilities that want the Supreme Court to strike down Biden-era Department of Energy rules that tightened standards for gas-powered commercial water heaters and consumer furnaces."

"The House approved a five-year farm bill Thursday after stripping the legislation of liability protections for pesticide manufacturers."

"A proposed data center in the Imperial Valley would need 750,000 gallons of water a day. Satisfying the thirst of 24 more facilities expected to open in the state will be challenging, experts and officials say."

"Lee Zeldin started off his tour of congressional hearings this week with a bang. The EPA administrator appeared Monday before the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees his agency to defend a fiscal 2027 budget proposal that would slice the agency down to $4.2 billion — or more than half of its enacted funding."

"EPA’s independent federal watchdog found the agency’s process for inspecting large hazardous waste generators was inconsistent, leaving one-fifth of sites without oversight during a five-year period."