Trump Officials, Billionaires And The Quiet Reshaping Of America's Public Lands
"A controversial land swap orchestrated by the megarich could be “a harbinger of what’s to come” for public lands under Trump."
Source: Floodlight, 05/21/2026
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"Solar To Overtake Coal On Texas Grid For The First Time Ever This Year"
"For the first time ever, solar is set to generate more electricity than coal in the power market managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Nobody is building new coal power plants in the state, but developers are adding more solar there than anywhere else in the country."
Source: Canary Media, 05/21/2026Over 17,000 Ordered To Evacuate As S. California Wildfire Threatens Homes
"More than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders in Southern California on Tuesday as a wildfire threatened suburban homes. The wind-driven Sandy Fire was reported Monday in the hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles."
Source: AP, 05/20/2026FWS Clears Weedkiller Atrazine, Saying It Won’t Cause Extinction
"The Trump administration has determined that atrazine, a weedkiller used widely on corn and other crops, does not pose an extinction risk to threatened or endangered wildlife, effectively justifying its continued use, according to a federal review made public this week." "The finding effectively paves the way for continued use of atrazine, a widely used herbicide that has been linked to birth defects and cancer in humans."
Source: New York Times, 05/20/2026"Sign Of The Times: NextEra-Dominion Merger Would Create Utility Giant"
"NextEra Energy agreed to buy Dominion Energy in a roughly $67 billion deal that would create the largest power company in the U.S., underscoring the energy industry’s pursuit of scale and capital to meet growing electricity demand from U.S. tech companies."
Source: E&E News, 05/20/2026"Wildlife Crossings Included In Bipartisan Transportation Bill"
"Funding for wildlife crossings has been included in a bipartisan transportation bill that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee plans to introduce to the House in the coming weeks. The BUILD America 250 Act would invest in roads, bridges and transit infrastructure across the country, as well as fund wildlife crossings through the reauthorization of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program."
Source: National Parks Traveler, 05/20/2026Black Dust Covers Oklahoma Town As Residents Face Renewed Pollution Fears
"Across a quiet Oklahoma town, a mysterious black dust has appeared throughout neighborhoods. As residents search for answers, many say this triggers memories from decades before."
Source: KOCO5, 05/20/2026"Manager at Trump’s N.J. Golf Club Helped Plan Reflecting Pool Repairs"
"The general manager of President Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, N.J., has offered suggestions to guide the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and helped recruit one of the contractors for the job, according to federal documents and a government spokeswoman."
Source: New York Times, 05/20/2026US-Mexico Border Wall Is Desecrating Sacred Sites, Indigenous Leaders Say
"White sage burning, Norma Meza Calles gathers guests at a Mexican wellness resort into a semicircle facing Kuuchamaa Mountain and asks everyone to close their eyes and feel its presence."
Source: AP, 05/20/2026The Worst Climate Future Is Less Likely, But The Best One Is Slipping Away
"Scientists are jettisoning their worst and best case scenarios for a warming world as no longer plausible. That shows how modest gains in the fight to curb climate change have dialed back the most catastrophic of future heating but also confirmed that there’s no chance to limit warming to the international goal set in 2015."
Source: AP, 05/20/2026"Chesapeake Crab Population Rallies A Bit From Long-Term Slump"
"The Chesapeake Bay’s blue crabs have clawed their way out of the cellar. The dredge survey conducted last winter by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Virginia Institute of Marine Science found that the Bay’s crab population — especially the young crustaceans — have rebounded from a protracted slump, despite an unusually harsh winter."
Source: Bay Journal, 05/20/2026"2026 World Cup Set To Become ‘Most Polluting’ Games Ever"
"As nearly 300,000 fans prepare to arrive in Los Angeles for the men’s World Cup soccer championship in mid-June, the international soccer federation is coming under fire for what climate scientists and advocates are calling the most polluting World Cup in history."
Source: LA Times, 05/20/2026"Federal Chemical Safety Board Sends Warning on Trump Disaster Policy"
"The board said the administration is taking “a significant step backwards” on preventing chemical disasters."
Source: New York Times, 05/19/2026"E.P.A. to End Some Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water"
"The Trump administration announced Monday that it will drop some limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water that officials had determined can cause cancer and other serious health problems — angering some key activists who had supported President Trump’s campaign."
Source: New York Times, 05/19/2026Oily Sludge Is Flooding Their Dream Home. Okla. Regulators Don't Help.
"The Merediths were forced to abandon their house after it filled with black goo, reaching gas concentrations at explosive levels. Despite evidence of oil and gas pollution, the state “wanted to act like it would go away,” the family says."
Source: Frontier/ProPublica, 05/19/2026
