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"For the first time, scientists have used artificial intelligence to create new kinds of viruses, raising hopes for medical advances while also raising the disturbing possibility that the technology could someday be used to invent dangerous pathogens."
"B.C. Premier David Eby says the entire province is now under a state of emergency as crews grapple with dozens of out-of-control wildfires that have forced thousands of people to evacuate."
"A far-reaching new tariff on solar imports promises to both raise the cost of installing the clean energy source and strengthen efforts to reshore solar manufacturing."
"President Trump has nominated a former White House official and Project 2025 author to be the Interior Department’s internal watchdog, a move that critics say could hurt the integrity of the office’s investigations."
"Republicans on Thursday voted down a proposed amendment to the Farm Bill that would have protected consumer rights to sue pesticide manufacturers over alleged harm after the US Supreme Court recently narrowed those rights."
"The Department of Energy has canceled or stalled funding for thousands of projects that would improve the country’s stressed grid — and not just in blue states."
"As regulations have reduced prenatal exposure to harmful emissions from vehicles and industry in recent years, smoke from climate-fueled wildfires is erasing air quality gains."
"The solar energy industry-backed group that helped oust conservative Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles isn’t done making the case that you don’t mess with renewable energy."
"Mutual aid groups that started giving out PPEs during Covid are now loaning air purifiers and distributing masks to fume-addled communities"
"Wandering gliders are descended from some of the earliest known insects – and breed as one global population. ... Whenever we see a dragonfly zipping through the airspace and devouring tiny insects with aplomb, we can appreciate they are so timelessly effective that they have barely needed to tweak their way of life in 200m years."
"About 50 million people are likely to be pushed into acute hunger before the end of next year by the rapidly developing El Niño weather system, according to forecasting. This is in addition to the hundreds of millions of people already facing dangerous levels of hunger, owing to years of drought in parts of Africa and pressure on food prices from the war in Iran."
"The German energy company RWE has reached a $1.22bn deal with the US government to relinquish its offshore wind leases and instead redirect funds towards fossil fuel investments. The agreement marks the fifth deal the Donald Trump administration has struck with energy companies, offering payouts in exchange for abandoning renewable energy projects and redirecting investment towards fossil fuels."
"A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Pentagon to lift its freeze on reviewing onshore wind projects and to end some of the delays that have brought U.S. wind power development to a standstill."
"Every single English water body is polluted with toxic chemicals, new government data shows, while just 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status."
"William Lawrence, a data center moratorium supporter who co-founded the progressive Sunrise Movement, won a critical Michigan congressional primary Tuesday over two more-moderate and better-funded Democrats."
